Bramble thanked him through the interpreter, and told him that he would get well drunk that night.

“Yes, drive away care, captain says,” replied the interpreter.

Once more the doors were closed, and we had no chance of further interruption.

[Illustration:  JACK A PRISONER.—­Marryat, Vol X., p. 349.]

By Bramble’s direction, the mate, assisted by me and the boatswain, cast loose the remaining bundles of straw and shook them down as beds for the prisoners at the end of the church nearest to the door; and as soon as they had eaten their bread, Bramble gave them all a portion of the brandy, advising them to turn in soon, as we were to march very early the next morning.  We remained with them at first, having taken our seats on the straw as if we also intended to repose.  At last it became dusk, and then dark; the prisoners settled themselves to sleep; we left them and joined Bramble.  Having arranged our straw so as to secure ignition, and leaving the mate and boatswain down below, Bramble and I, now that there was no chance of our being seen by the sentinels, ascended the tower.  It commanded a view of the town and harbor.  We looked down upon the main street—­all was mirth and revelry; fiddling and dancing and singing were to be heard from more than one house; women in the street laughing, and now and then running and screaming when pursued by the men.

“This is all right,” observed Bramble; “in an hour or two you’ll see how quiet everything will be; but I shall not let them all go to bed before I set fire, for there may be some difficulty in waking them.  I don’t see that there’s any lights down at the pier, where the vessels lie.”

We stayed up there till about eleven o’clock, Bramble watching the lights and sounds; and when he considered that they had sufficiently decreased, he said, “Now we’ll try it, Tom, and may success attend us!”

We descended and found the mate and boatswain anxiously waiting for us.  Bramble struck a light with his flint, and we carried it to the screen where we had piled the straw under the seats and against the panels.

“Now then, messmates,” said Bramble, “as long as the others sleep the better; but if they waken in the confusion, bring here all the straw you can collect, for we must not fail for want of fuel.”

But of this there was no chance, for the wood of the screen and benches was so dry that it was alight immediately.  For ten minutes the other prisoners and the guard outside did not appear to be aware of what was going on; but at last the church was so filled with smoke that they were roused up.  Still the principal smoke was in that portion of the church where we were; at the other end they were not much inconvenienced, as it found vent by the windows.  What the invalids were about outside I do not know, but they did not perceive it; probably they had left their guard to go and carouse.  At all events the flames had climbed