blow out your brains at once."

Still Walter stared at him stupidly, and made no reply, except to mutter,
"Water."

"It's no use," one of the other men said. "He hasn't got his right senses
yet. It's no use shooting him now, after we have had the trouble of
bringing him here. In the morning, he will be able to answer you."

"He had better," the other said savagely, "or we will light a fire and
roast him over it. There, take him back to the stable, and give him a
drink of water. I don't want him to slip through our fingers, after the
trouble we have had with him."

Walter was taken back, as before, to the stable, and one of the men
brought him a mug of water, and held it to his lips. He drank eagerly,
and then the man placed the mug down beside him, the door was again
closed and locked, and Walter was alone. He rose at once to his feet, and
felt that his sleep had greatly refreshed and strengthened him.

"I will have another sleep, before I try," he said to himself. "It will
not be light till six, and it must be eight or nine o'clock now. I must
make up my mind, before I doze off, to wake in about three or four hours;
but first, I must see what I can find, here."

He felt round the walls, but failed to find anything like a rope.

"I must trust to luck," he said; "I don't suppose they will post many
sentries. These fellows are not real soldiers, and no doubt they will all
be sound asleep in a couple of hours."