along lightly and cheerfully. It was eleven o'clock when they started,
and through the night they did not meet a single person. Towards
morning they got under a haystack near the road, and slept for some
hours; then they walked steadily on until they had done twenty miles
since their start. They went into a small inn, and had some breakfast,
and then purchasing some bread and cold ham, went on through the town,
and leaving the London road, followed that leading to Portsmouth, and
after a mile or two again took up their quarters until evening, in a
haystack.

It is not necessary to give the details of the journey to Portsmouth.
After the first two days' tramp, having no longer any fear of the
pursuit, which, no doubt, had been made for them when first missed,
they walked by day, and slept at night in sheds, or under haystacks,
as they were afraid of being questioned and perhaps stopped at inns.
They walked only short distances now, for the first night's long
journey had galled their feet, and, as Tom said, they were not pressed
for time, and did not want to arrive at Portsmouth like two limping
tramps. Walking, therefore, only twelve miles a day after the first
two days, they arrived at Portsmouth fresh and in high spirits.
They had met with no adventures upon the road, except that upon one
occasion two tramps had attempted to seize their bundles, but the
production of the pistols, and the evident determination of the boys
to use them if necessary, made the men abandon their intention and
make off, with much bad language and many threats, at which the boys
laughed disdainfully.

Arrived at Portsmouth, their first care was to find a quiet little
inn, where they could put up. This they had little difficulty in
doing, for Portsmouth abounded with public-houses, and people were so