"Turnin' twenty-seven," Billy agreed.
"That's of it," said Abe. "I've been thinking about her, constant."
"Well, look'ee here," spoke up Billy, "our little agreement holds, don't it?—that is, if we ever get out of this here mess, and Selina hasn't gone and taken a husband. Play fair, leave it to the maid, and let the best man win; that's what we shook hands over. If that holds, seemin' to me the rest can wait."
"True, true," says Abe; but after a bit he asks rather sly-like: "And s'posin' you're the lucky one, how do'ee reckon you're going to maintain her?"
"Why, on seaman's wages, I suppose; or else at the shoe-mending.
I learnt a little of that trade in Jivvy, as you d'know."
"Well," says Abe, "I was reckonin' to set up school and teach navigation. Back in Ardevora I can make between seventy and eighty pounds a year at that game easy."
Bosistow scratched his head. "You've been making the most of your time.
Now I've been busy in my way, too, but seemin' to me the only trade I've
learned is prison-breakin'. Not much to keep a wife on, as you say.
Still, a bargain's a bargain."
"Oh, sutt'nly," says Abe; "that is if your conscience allows it."
"I reckon I'll risk that," answers Billy, and no more passed.
From Tours the prisoners tramped south-east again, to a town called Riou, in the middle of France, and reached it in a snowstorm on March 1. Here they were billeted for five weeks or so, and here, one night, they were waked up and told that Bonaparty had gone scat, and they must come forth and dance with the townspeople in honour of it. You may be sure they heeled and toed it that night, and no girl satisfied unless she had an Englishman for a partner. But the next day it all turned out to be lies, and off they were marched again. To be short, 'twasn't till the end of April that they came to the river opposite Bordeaux, and were taken in charge by English red-coats, who told them they were free men. On the 28th of that month Abe and Billy, with forty others, were put on board a sloop and dropped down the river to the Dartmouth frigate, from which they were drafted on to the Lord Wellington, and again on to the Suffolk transport. And on May 4 the Suffolk, with six other transports, having about fifteen hundred released prisoners on board, weighed anchor under convoy for Plymouth before a fine breeze, S.E. by S.