"What!"

"I mean it. I found a sharp stone imbedded in the ground near to me
and I have nearly sawed through my wrist-bands."

After a few seconds' more vigorous scraping against the stone, Billy
whispered:

"My hands are free. Wait till I wiggle my fingers and get up some
circulation and then we'll make our attempt--"

When he had once more got full control of his cramped fingers Billy
stooped cautiously over and loosened the thongs about his ankles.
So tightly had they been drawn, though, that it took some little
time to get the cramps out of them. At last, however, the boy
succeeded in restoring the circulation and then he was ready for the
most daring step of his attempt. Cautiously he fell on his hands
and knees and began to crawl toward the nearest of the sleeping
slave-traders.

"What are you going to do, Billy?" asked Lathrop, in an agony of
fear lest the man should awaken.

"Watch me," was the young reporter's reply, as on his stomach he
wiggled painfully across the few yards separating him from the
sleeping man. In reality it took only a few minutes, but to both
the boys the period of time occupied seemed interminable.

But it was no time to hurry things. One false step night cost them