"Let Jimmie pretend he's hungry and burrow out below the walls," laughed Harry. "Set a full meal outside the place and I'll wager Jimmie would be out of this prison inside of five minutes!"
"I'm going to endeavor to get the ear of our pleasant looking jailer!" Jimmie announced suddenly. "I have an idea that his beautiful white soul might by some chance be sullied to the tune of a bribe!"
"Don't do it!" advised Ned. "He's not worth wasting time on!"
"But we've got to get out of this hole some way!" protested Jimmie impatiently. "Do we sit around here all night?"
"It isn't night yet by a long ways!" argued Harry. "Keep your temper, Jimmie; we're coming out all right! We're not down yet!"
"I'd like to know what you call it!" Jimmie answered, somewhat aggrieved because his plan was not accepted. "They've got us fast!"
"Listen!" commanded Ned, holding up a warning hand. "What's that?"
"That," cried Jimmie excitedly, "is Monseer Le Officaire on hees r-r-return. He brings wiz heem zee whole French ar-r-my!"
"Not much!" declared Harry at the window. "It doesn't sound like his engine! If this stack of fodder wasn't in the way I could see!"
"Ask The Rat to remove the stack!" suggested Jimmie. "Let me look!"