“I joined them, and, after a few days of hard marching, we reached Strasbourg, where I was drilled six times a day until, at last, I began to think they would drill the very life out of me. “I was all along dreaming of and devising some plan to escape to England, but could not. “At last an accident occurred which took me out of the army. “My drill serjeant was more of a German than a Frenchman; in truth he was a naturalized German, and he thought the best way to make recruits learn their drill was to thrash them with a big stick. “I saw him hit several poor devils about the legs and shoulders. “Thinks I to myself, ‘this won’t do for me.’ “Nor did it. “One day, however, as I couldn’t escape, I thought I’d do something, so as to be sent to prison for a day or two, so as to have plenty of time to think over new plans for getting away to England. “I, among a great many more, were placed under this German drill master, and he began to knock the poor devils about most unmercifully. “My turn came next. “I did something wrong, and he was about to strike me with his thick club. “On the instant I raised my musket, and, with one blow, knocked him down as dead as a herring. “In an instant I ran away out of the barracks, gun and all. “They pursued me. “I turned upon them and shot several. “Like a hare I ran towards the Rhine, and jumping into a small boat, which I found there, pushed off from shore, and before my pursuers could get near enough I was in the middle of the river, and out of reach. “Down the river I flew with the wind in my favour, and soon reached the mouth of the river. “There I hailed a ship which was under full canvas. “It proved to be an English vessel, and they took me on board. “For several weeks we were knocking about in very bad weather, and I made myself so useful that one and all took a great liking to me. “But here again misfortune overtook me. “After buffetting about for more than a month, we were driven on to the west coast of England, and one night, when least expected, the ship struck on a rock, and was driven violently on shore. “The night being dark, none of us could form any idea where we were going to, or where we were. “Next morning, however, explained everything. “The ship was a total wreck. “Not a soul among the whole crew was alive but myself. “I was master of the wreck, and all it contained; but yet I could not get on board very well, for the waves were washing right over it. “While I sat watching the stranded vessel, and thinking what it might contain, I was startled by what I there saw. “All around me danced a dozen skeleton men, who seized me by my arms and legs, and bore me away to their rendezvous.” “And who was it?” asked Phillip Redgill. “The Red Man of the Gibbet. He was the chief of the Skeleton Crew in those days, and that’s how I became one of them.” [Illustration: A ROUGH RECEPTION.— _See Number 22._] CHAPTER XLII.