Part 8 (1/2)

”Then she may come Pst!”

Hardly a breath could be heard then as ears were strained, and after a good deal of doubt had been felt, a kind of thrill ran through the men who had taken hold of a line fastened to a stanchion and lowered theular, slow beat of great sweeps becah Ra was visible for quite another ten e he di into view

Soon there caainst the rock, followed by the sound of ropes drawn over the bulwark, and Ra through it, gave the signal by shaking the rope, and in an instant he was snatched from his feet, run up, the rope drawn in, and he was landed on the turf

A s of stones was then attached to the loop, the wheel spun round, and the bag hizzing dohile the group ofbelow, hardly see each other, so dense was the mist now

Sundry familiar sounds arose from time to time, and more than once the farmer uttered an ejaculation full of i the vessel below and taking precautions to keep her froe of the shelf, for though the sea was calm, there was the swell to contend with

At last

There was a murmur from belohich those two hundred feet above kneell, and as two stood ready, another man by them took hold of the rope, and suddenly started off at a run, disappearing at once in the fog, while a peculiar whizzing sound was heard, as the little wheel in the block now ran round till all at once a couple of kegs and the bag of stones appeared level with the top of the cliff These were seized, unhitched, and as the bag ran down, a s and hoisted them on his shoulder, just as theinto which the other with the kegs disappeared

There was a faint hiss, and away ran the s up rapidly, to be set at liberty, slung, and hoisted on another

And so the unloading went on with , a couple of kegs co and hoisted just as the hauler came back and the bearer disappeared, till quite a line ofslowly up the hill, down into the valley, and up again toward Sir Risdon Graeone, and the kegs still kept co, considering the a done and the rapidity hich all went on Away to left and right sentries were placed, frorew tired by their exertions in running up the kegs, were placed there to rest and listen for danger fromented by a dozen more, ca as the others were going

But still they were not in sufficient force, for the Hoze was so on the turf at the top of the cliff

About half the cargo was landed when Shackle whispered an order to Ra

”No, no; run without, and see that they store them all up well”

Ram was used to the business, and he went off at a trot, breasted the hill, dived down into the hollow, and then passing , made for the Hoze, entered by the side door, e vault with groined roof lit by a couple of lanthorns hanging from hooks

Here for the next three hours he worked hard, helping to stack the little brandy kegs at first, and afterwards the shts and short loose canvass trousers which looked like petticoats, helping to bring up the cargo, and showed by their presence that all had been landed fro of the accues and at the top of the cliff

”Muchas he toiled aet noith perspiration

”Ay, ay, lad, it's a long cargo,” he kept hearing; and the lanthorns had to be shi+fted twice as the stacks of kegs and bales increased, till just as the boy began to think the loads would never end, he realised that the French sailors had not been up lately, and one of their own men suddenly said--

”Last!”

Ram drew a breath full of relief as the men came out silently, and he stopped behind with one lanthorn only alight to lock the door of the great vault, and then stood in the stone passage, thinking how quiet and still the house see the door after hiarden

”Wonder whether Miss Celia heard us,” he said; ”never thought of it before; they lanced up at the s as he went out, then they seemed to disappear in the mist as he made for the track and went doards, to hear low voices, and directly after he encountered his father

”Got 'e the key ”Lugger gone?”