Here, as hour after hour passed, they strengthened each other in their resolutions, by an agreement that no torture should wring from them a recantation of their faith, and by many prayers for strength and support from above.
Once a day the door opened, and an attendant brought in bread and water, which he placed in silence on the ground.

The second day, as he did so, he placed a bundle by the side of the bread, and whispering, "Be prudent.

Use these only as the last resource.
Friends are preparing to help you," retired as noiselessly as usual.
When left in darkness again, the lads seized upon the parcel.

It was large and heavy and, to their great delight, they found that it contained two daggers and two brace of heavy pistols.
"I wonder," Ned said, in a whisper to Tom, "that our friend does not contrive to get us passed through the prison.

But I suppose that he finds that only one or two, perhaps, of the attendants are corruptible; and that our jailor, although he might free us from this cell, could not pass us through the corridors and out of the building." "Let us see," Tom said, "if we can make our way into any cell which may adjoin this.