d'armes,--long story: three of our pals seized; affair of the galleys for
them, I suspect (French frogs can't seize me!); fricasseed one or two of
them; broke away, crossed the country, reached the coast; found an honest
smuggler; landed off Sussex with a few other kegs of brandy; remembered
you, preserved the address you gave me, and condescend to this rat-hole
for a night or so. Let me in; knock up somebody, break open the larder.
I want to eat, I am famished; I should have eaten you by this time, only
there's nothing on your bones."

The little man opened the door,--a passage black as Erebus. "Give me
your hand, General." Jasper was led through the pitchy gloom for a few
yards; then the guide found a gas-cock, and the place broke suddenly into
light: a dirty narrow staircase on one side; facing it a sort of lobby,
in which an open door showed a long sanded parlour, like that in public
houses; several tables, benches, the walls whitewashed, but adorned with
sundry ingenious designs made by charcoal or the smoked ends of clay-
pipes; a strong smell of stale tobacco and of gin and rum. Another
gaslight, swinging from the centre of the ceiling, sprang into light as
Cutts touched the tap-cock.

"Wait here," said the guide. "I will go and get you some supper."

"And some brandy," said Jasper.

"Of course."

The bravo threw himself at length on one of the tables, and, closing his
eyes, moaned. His vast strength had become acquainted with physical
pain. In its stout knots and fibres, aches and sharp twinges, the
dragon-teeth of which had been sown years ago in revels or brawls, which