Part 37 (1/2)

He hadmasses of stone, and he found hi, so tired and faint, that he would gladly have found the basket and the resting-place; but the rew of the ease hich he could lose himself entirely in the darkness, and when he did conised by touch as one that he had felt before, it seemed to him that he stumbled upon it quite by accident, and the moment he left it he was as helpless as before

Wearied out at length, he deterht line from where he was to the extremity of the vault; then to curve back, and fro-place and the basket

It took him just about an hour, and when he had done all this he could find no traces of his food, but he heard a noise close behind him which nailed hi

According to his idea, he was at the end of the cave farthest froaolers approached, but unless there were two entrances he was quite wrong, for he had wandered close up to the place whence Ra, he stooped down to let whoever it was pass him, while he made for the entrance and slipped out

Directly after there was the soft glow of a lanthorn, which suddenly ca, and the bearer began to descend a rough slope

Archy saw nothe glare of light, and then, as it passed hi on toward the other end of the cave, he crept froh slope, which was thoroughly printed on his mind, so that he could alht be in his way

The door would be open, he thought; and, if he could, he would have a clever revenge, for he determined to turn the tables on his enemies, shut thenal for help froet a boat's crew ashore

As he crept on quietly he glanced over his shoulder once, saw the light disappearing behind the great square, squat pillars, and then with a feeling of triuh him, he went cautiously up the rest of the slope, his arms outstretched, his breath held, and inan exclamation from the other end of the cave

”They'll think I'm so to pass through an opening into daylight the next moment; but it did not turn out as he anticipated, for he stopped short with his nose against some one's throat, his ar to that body gripped hiruff whisper ”Light out?”

Archy's heart beat heavily, and he felt that, to escape, he ought to try and imitate the boy's voice, and say ”Yes”

But he could not only stand panting, and the next instant his opportunity, if opportunity it was, had gone For Ra the roof

”Look out, Jemmy He aren't here”

”No, he aren't there, lad,” said the s your lanthorn, I've ketched a rat or sole to escape, but the ht round his waist, he was lifted off the slope, and as he fully realised that, in a wrestlingseventeen , well-set seven-and-thirty

”No good, youngster,” growled the sler, as he carried the midshi+pood idea, but you see we didn'tthat he was exhausting hi, and was held there

”Bring hi, Jemmy,” he said ”His dinner's ready”

”Shall I carry hihtily ”You two are, I suppose, quite ignorant of the consequences of keepingabout, Je 'bout consequences”

”As soon as it is known that you have seized and keptteret no worse off”

”But suppose no one knows you are here?” said Raive you both fair warning”

”Thank ye,” said Raly

”And thank ye for me too, my lad”