Part 23 (2/2)

”Yes--yes--speak!”

”I must”

”Oh!”

The interjection came as if it were the outco sound, and before the boy could realise as to come, the door was closed, the lock shot into its socket, and he heard the grinding sound of bolts, top and bottohast with astonishain all was silent

”Well!” he exclaiht for one's sister at ho her people into trouble Of all the fierce little tartars! Oh, it's beyond anything! Why, she has locked h, full of vexation, injured _anity, of which Archibald Raystoke, in the full flush of his young belief in his iood stock

”I never did!” he exclai for a few irl would repent and return ”It all coh fisher-lad If I had been in uniform, she would not have dared”

Cold water came on this idea directly, as he recalled the fact that the darkness was intense, and Celia could not have seen him

”And I meant to save them from trouble if I could, out of respect for them all, and did not believe that such people could stoop to be ot my duty to do, and I'll do it I'll soon show the to be played with Looked such a nice, lady-like girl, and all the ti up to let them in, and lock up after the rascals had done”

Rather hard irl, who could not rest while Shackle's gang were busy about the place, and had come stealthily down to open the little corner rooone

”Well,” said Archy, as there was no further sound heard, ”I' to put up with this I'll soon rattle some one up;” and he went sharply to the door, felt for the handle, tried it, and was about to shake it and bang at the panels, when discretion got the better of valour

For it suddenly occurred to him that he was not only a prisoner, but a prisoner in the power of a very reckless set of people, ould stop at nothing They had a valuable cargo hidden in the cellar beneath where he stood, and themselves to save, and naturally they would not hesitate to deal hardly with hiirl treated hiht to himself, ”I don't believe they would kill me, but they would knock me about”

On the whole, he decided that it would not be pleasant to be knocked about The kick he had received was a foretaste of what he ht expect, and after a little consideration he caet back to the cutter as quickly as he could

To do this he , then nal for help, unless a boat's creere already searching for him

How to escape?

The door was, he well knew, fast The as barred, but he went to it, and tried the bars one by one, to find them all solidly fitted into the stone sill

Perhaps there was another way out, and to prove that he went softly round to feel the oak panelling which covered the walls, to coan to rise, but they fell directly, for he found it was a closet

Next moment, as he felt his way about, his hand touched an old-fashi+oned marble mantelpiece

Fireplace--chimney! Yes, if other ways failed, he could escape up the chimney

No, that was too bad He could not do that And if he did, it would only be to reach the roof of the house, and perhaps find no way down

He went on, and found a closet to match the first on the other side of the fireplace Then all round the rooain to stand at the , to beirl to make a prisoner of him in so absurd a way

Syone now, and he set his teeth fast, andabout such people For the first fewuncommonly like alarlers found the spy upon their proceedings; but that dread had passed away in the idea that he had to do his duty, and before he could do that he must escape

A chair or two Then an easy-chair A narrow table against the wall in two places An aardly-shaped high-backed chair with elbows and cushi+ons A thick carpet in the centre Nothing else in the room, as far as he could make out in the darkness, and if those wretched bars had only been away, how soon he could have escaped!