been fully under the impression that I was dead.

My new protector recommended me to go into the bath, and amuse myself there as long as I liked a bit of advice very necessary. My patience was not taxed much this time. The Lieutenant reappeared with my old messmate Conn, who was also on parole. By them it was arranged that I should follow them at a certain distance to the abode of Thomas-like Conn a prisoner at large. But first of all he presented me with a cap that had a gold tassel. They then set out, and stopped at the house, which they entered; but here an unfortunate mistake occurred. Thomas did not live in that house, they were told, but next door. Some little delay had taken place, and I was now close to their heels when they emerged and passed on to the next door. Here again they were equally disappointed, and were assured that Mr Thomas did live in the house they had just left, but in the upper part of it. Back we went.

Mr

These desultory movements attracted the attention of an old pensioner, who communicated his observations to a gendarme ; and on hearing some heavy footsteps in the rear, I had just time to conceal myself behind a glass door with a curtain across it, when my friends were accosted very civilly by the official, and asked if "Mr Jackson was there?" A woman was occupied in the room, and divining how matters

stood attracted my notice, and pointed under the bed. The gendarme accepted their answer and quitted the house. Nevertheless, it was thought expedient to put me elsewhere as quickly as possible. So I was called out upon the landing, and handed over to a little old woman who held a key in her hand, with which she motioned me to follow her. I did so, and we got to a door, which she opened, and pushing me through, she locked it behind her and ran away downstairs with the key. Woman's wit for ever, said I to myself, and I made for a huge pile of brushwood faggots filling one end of the room. They were promiscuously heaped together, and I found no difficulty in effecting a passage through them to the farthest corner, where I pulled them about to conceal any opening I had made. Here I crouched down to await the future.

I had not been too prompt in thus installing myself. The door was opened presently, and perhaps a dozen men entered. They gabbled away as only Frenchmen can, and then they made an attack upon the faggots. The pile was pretty thick, or I should have suffered more than once from the points of their swords, which they thrust in here and there. One active gentleman got a well-pointed stake which he propelled through the heap, and it hit the wall disagreeably close to where I lay doubled. This apparently satisfied him,

as he exclaimed in French, " He is not there." Despite the critical aspect of affairs, I could not help remarking in my mind, "What a lie."

I was immensely relieved when the sound of their voices and footsteps assured me of their retreat; but the relief was not permanent. They came back even in stronger numbers than before, and began a fresh inquisition upon the faggots. Fortune certainly favoured me under these ordeals, or I should have beyond a doubt been pinked most uncomfortably. Again I rejoiced to hear sounds of their departure. Only one remained, and then, whilst I was speculating on his motives for lagging, all my new-born hopes were scattered beyond redemption by hearing him declare that if I was anywhere in the house I was in the faggots, and he would not go until he had searched every bundle. Confound your perseverance, I almost said, as the abominable old foe began to carry out his promise. I have already alluded to the cap I wore. When the gendarme had taken away most of the faggots and had left relatively a few sticks between us, his eye suddenly caught the glitter of the gold tassel. It was all up with me: he tore down the topmost faggot and revealed your humble servant, with anything but an easy assurance displayed on his countenance.

an authority in one of Sterne's narratives which may or may not be familiar to my reader. In reply to this salutation I crawled out, and submitted myself a third time a reluctant captive. An investigation at the bureau, of course, impended, and I was presented formally to the authorities as a fugitive prisoner. Captain F. W. Fane of the English Navy was then awaiting his papers of permission to return to England. He had commanded the Cambrian, and now the fact that he had treated some French prisoners with great kindness having come to the knowledge of the Emperor, the latter had ordered his release, and he was now on the point of leaving the French country for his own.

He witnessed my introduction and the company in which it was made. I made known the details of my case to him, whereupon he promised to inform a personal friend of mine at the Admiralty of my position. I am sorry to relate that he forgot to redeem this pledge. All remembrance of the poor Lieutenant whom he had left in bondage in a foreign land became dissipated in the excitement and joy of recovering his own release.

The French General examined me himself, and was anxious to ascertain how I had descended the wall of the convent. "By my hands," I replied. This assertion he could not believe, of course, as my hands bore no marks of the friction usually sustained in such undertakings.

A great many other questions were applied, to most of which I answered evasively. At the termination of these I felt dry and parched, and asked for a glass of water. I was refused somewhat abruptly, and the General turned to the gendarme, directing him in almost the same tone of voice to take me to his, the General's, wife, and bid her give me the best bottle of wine in his cellar. I asked for my parole, promising that if I received it I should respect it ; but this he explained was out of his powers to grant.

In the course of this process a tin case was brought into the room, which invested me with anything but favourable anticipations; for Whitehurst had repeatedly terrified me with the prospect of compulsory confession elicited by those means which of all things I most dreaded-namely, the thumbscrews. However, there was nothing so terrible as this in store. I was merely handcuffed and led away along the ramparts of the town to the Porte Chaussée-a prison situated over the gates of the town.

On arrival at my new prison I found there were three occupants, one of them being a music master. I suspected one of the other two of being a spy, but he called himself a Captain in the English Army, an old joke even in those days. Nevertheless it was largely due to the kind assistance of this friend whom I was now misjudging that I was enabled subsequently to make good my escape from France, as will be explained later. The third occupant was a Lieutenant in the East Indian Service, and bore a despicable character. So much for my associates-so far I stuck to the music master. While at Porte Chaussée I became acquainted with a military Lieutenant outside, named George Beamish, who tendered me his good offices in attempting to escape. He visited me

bringing

frequently, always with him a piece of line. I was to let him know when I was prepared for action, and began my designs at once. In the planks above our heads I detected an unsound corner, and by standing on the shoulder of a companion, who in his turn was elevated upon the bed, I established a hole there one evening through which I squeezed, and then fastened the line to the parapet. having been accomplished, I went back to help the others. It was then understood that each should wait until the others had ascended, and then slip down the parapet in order. I first assisted up the East Indian and then the "Military Captain," who, being stout and awkward, made a great noise getting through the hole. This scared the East Indian, who,

This

in complete defiance of the previous arrangement, rushed to the rope, and let himself down into the embrace of a gendarme. The stout party, ignorant of his companion's mishap, quickly emulated his example, but not being an expert in the art of gymnastics, he let the rope slide through his fingers and fell heavily to the ground, breaking his thigh in the fall.

The gendarmes were now gathered round the spot, and in the confusion the East Indian seized a favourable opportunity and eluded his captor, getting clear away to the appointed place where Beamish was expecting us, from whom he derived the benefit intended for me. Seeing the game up, I made for the room again, and was snug under the bed-clothes when the jailor opened the Appearances are decepSo thought the jailor, I presume, for he approached the bed and drew off the sheets, of course discovering me habited for a journey. "Ah!" he exclaimed, "I knew you had a hand in it-I was sure that nobody thought of breaking out unless you put it into their heads."

tive.

This little affair brought the Lieutenant of the gendarmes down about the middle of the night, perhaps called from the enjoyment of a pleasant party, as he was in anything but a mild humour. I was the main object of his strictures, and he spared no pains to convince me of his displeasure. He said,

VOL. CCXXI.-NO. MCCCXXXV.

"You have given us all a great deal of trouble, Mr Jackson-I have already doubled the sentries on your account, and now I must add fresh precautions. I have therefore given them strict injunctions, should you repeat to-night's experiment, to fire at you without hesitation, and I leave it entirely at the discretion of the jailor to place you or not in the black hole."

"And I, sir," I retorted, "beg to inform you that I have not had my parole, and, despite all your threats, I am determined to escape if I can, whether your sentries fire or not."

The jailor didn't presume upon his authority, but allowed me to go quickly to bed. The only penalty I suffered after all was being called upon to pay for the damage done to the rotten planks. A fresh accession to our small circle in the prison of Porte Chaussée was soon made by new-comers in two relays. On arrival of the second batch we were put under orders for Bitche.

requested the music master to play on the piano which one of the prisoners was allowed to keep in the room, and to select the loudest piece he could choose. All hands then proceeded at my instigation to make a rope out of the sheets. It was rapidly done, and each wound a portion of it round his body beneath his clothes.

The prisoners in the adjoining room were indulging in a somewhat boisterous mirth, and so between them and the piano, upon which our friend was doing most laudable execution, we had plenty of noise.

The rope disposed of, we rang for the jailor, and supplied him with the usual reason for allowing us to leave the room. We gained by this means access into the next compartment, where I had previously scented out another spot in the planks above; and we would be left here until we chose to summon the jailor to reconduct us to our own quarters, not so conveniently appointed. I arrested the conviviality for a moment to introduce the subject in contemplation, and it was gladly accepted nem. con. I then begged them to continue their jollification, and to sing and shout as if nothing was in the wind.

To prevent surprise I asked a doctor who was present, a very timid man, to watch the gratings in the door, and when the jailor or his wife approached, to pop out his head and call for a jug of beer. This post he

accepted, and I set to. plank was started in a few minutes, and I was shoving away with all my heart when I heard sundry smothered remarks on all sides, such as "Hush, hush, Jackson . . .” I, not dreaming of danger, merely turned my head for a moment, when lo! the poor cowardly doctor had bolted, and the jailor's wife was calmly watching my proceedings from the deserted gratings. Down I dropped like a stone from my eminence and tried hard to look unconcerned, with very lame results, I am afraid. The jailor came and restored us to our proper places, and the question arose what should be done with the ten ropes and how account for the missing sheets, as we were to start in the morning.

The ropes were ultimately packed into two of the Midshipmen's bags, and I undertook to manage about the sheets.

The jailor took his inventory before we left, and I explained that the sheets had been sent on an emergency to the washerwoman, but as it was not probable she would return them when she knew of our departure, I honourably offered to pay for them. This honest conduct on my part raised me considerably in the estimation of the jailor, who was perfectly contented with the arrangement, and took quite an affecting leave of me.

A new system was adopted for our security on the road