Part 57 (1/2)
”It's all right,” he whispered; ”they o to the far cave and see?”
”No,” said Mike decisively ”Ho once rew plainer and plainer to their accusto at once to the botto
”Will you go first?” he whispered
”I don't htened the rope again, feeling that in a very short time they would be able to set the anxieties of all at rest
”Father won't be so angry when he knows,” thought the boy; and, hanging there to the rope, he was about half-way up when he let go and dropped to the sand, for a figure suddenly appeared in the dark opening over his head, and before he could recover froh the inner cave
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
TRAPPED BIRDS
”Quick back to the seal hole!” whispered Vince; and the boys darted to the dark passage leading to the outer cave, and then stopped short, for the as blocked by aup, while another was in the act of sliding down a rope from the fissure
Directly after, _thud, thud, thud_ ca down into the inner cave, and in another ainst Vince, and the two boys were forced onward through the opening to the outer cave, theway sufficiently to let the the point at Vince's chest, while one of his co act for Mike, the other two taking up a position to right and left, and effectually cutting off escape
The next instant the figure of the big, broad-chested leader ca round to him his features were pretty well fixed upon their brains as they noted his smooth, deeply-lined brown face, black curly hair streaked with grey, dark, piercing eyes and the pair of large gold earrings in his well-for his white teeth, ”_bonjour_, _ friends I hope you sal have sleep vairy vell in ”
This address, in atone, so different from the fierce burst of abuse which he anticipated, rather took Vince aback; and he was the h, which Vince gripped, Mike doing precisely the saood,” said the man, while his followers looked on
”You vill boze introduce yourself You are--?”
He looked hard at Mike
”Michael Ladelle,” said the owner of the name
”And you sall be--?”
”Vincent Burnet”
”Aha, yaas I introduce myself--Capitaine Jacques Lebrun, at your sairvice, and ze brearkfas vait You are vairy moshe ready?”
”Yes,” said Vince boldly; ”I want my breakfast very badly”
”Aha, yaas; and _votre ami_, he vill vant his You do not runs avay?”
”Not till after breakfast,” said Vince, sood You are von brave Zen ve vill put avay ze carving knife and not have out ze pistol _En avant_! You know ze vay to ze _salle-a-er_ You talk ze Francais, bose of you Aha?”
”I can understand that,” said Vince ”So can he _N'est-ce pas_, Mike?”