Part 24 (1/2)
He went and tried to force his head through, recalling as he did that where a person's head would go the rest of the body would pass But there was no chance for his body there, the head would not go first
He returned, after listening intently, unable to hear a sound, and put his ear to the key-hole of the door to listen there; but all was still, and the faint hope that the girl ht be near and open to an appeal for his liberty died away
Again he felt all about the room, to satisfy himself afresh that there was no way out, and he paused by the chimney, half disposed to essay that means of escape, but he shook his head
”A felloas shut up in prison for life ht do it,” he said, ”but not in a case like this”
Then, utterly wearied out, with his long and arduous twenty-four hours'
task, beginning with his watch on the cutter's deck, he felt his way to the big chair opposite to theto rest his legs, and try and think out some plan
”nobody can think hen he's tired,” he said; and he began to run over in his mind the whole of the incidents since he landed a few hours earlier
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
”Sure you've looked round everywhere, boy?”
”Yes, father, quite”
”Nothing left nowhere? Sure none of the lads chucked anything aside the path when they ran up?”
”Yes, father I looked well both sides”
”Humph! Worse lads than you if you knehere to find 'e home to breakfast”
”Shall I come too, father?”
”No Stop here till Sir Risdon comes down, and tell hiht, only a born fool saw Jerry Nandy's lobster-boat co to say it was a party from the cutter”
”Yes, father”
”Tell hi clear away to-night”
The dull sound of departing steps, and a lohistling sound cohtinto the cabin where Archy Raystoke lay with his heavy eyelids pressed down by sleep
”What a queer dreaht to himself ”No; it couldn't be a drea like that to Andrew Teal, the boy who helped the cook! And why did Andy call Mr Gurr father?”
There was an interval of thinking over this knotty question, during which the lohistling went on
”If Mr Brough goes on deck and catches that boy whistling, there'll be soht Archy nautically ”But what did Mr Gurr ry too
Tiave hi place, and then opened his eyes widely, and stared about him, too much overcome still by his heavy sleep to quite coloo at an iron-barred open