Part 39 (1/2)

On previous days he had looked forward to the lad's approach as so that would break the iven anything to have known that by some accident the lad would be kept away

Still Archy toiled on, the stone he had attacked as tight as ever, but quite a little heap of rough etting out the first one,” he argued; ”the others will coh”

And so, full of hope, he kept on, till feeling that it must be near the time for the visit, he reluctantly closed his pocket-knife and went down, gazing back first at the tiny ray of light which pointed the way to liberty

His arers were sore There was a blister too in the palm of his hand where the knife had pressed; but these were trifles now, and he seated himself in his old spot ready to receive his visitors, and so full of hope that he could hardly refrain fro for joy

He could see it all, now This was quite an ancient mine, one perhaps from which all the best stone had been worked Where Rahtin the face of the cliff, from which the pieces of stone had been lowered down into boats or shi+ps below After the slers had taken possession it seemed probable that they had filled up the hole in the cliff face, though it struck Archy that this would leave theoes ashore if they had tackle to haul it up, and get it into their store at once

The ti before the rattle and rumble of the stones on the trap-door struck upon Archy's listening ear, but at last, after he had convinced hier, there it was, and then came the rattle of the bolts and the sharp sound of the lock Directly afterwards there was a soft glare, the lanthorn appeared like so towards him in the darkness till it stopped close by, and Ram's now fary?”

”Yes,” said Archy, in a voice he wished to sound surly and obstinate, but which in spite of his wishes had a cheerful ring, which affected Rah and chatter

”Nice to be you,” he said ”Get all the good things, you do Fried fish to-day, and pork pie I say, ood quarters, you have”

Archy tried to seem sulky

”Oh, you needn't talk without you like, but they didn't feed you up aboard shi+p like you're getting it now, I know; salt beef, then salt pork, and hard biscuits Why, it's like fattening up one of our pigs for Christmas I say, you are quiet Haven't been at one of thes, have you? Oh, very well; if you don't like to talk, I can'tto let me out of this place?” said theto be set free, and chase any suspicions of his having discovered a way out

”When I get orders, Mr Orsifer, and not before I aren't skipper, no ht the prisoner ”Oh, hoill pay hi to peck?”

Archy took no notice, and at last there cah the place,--

”Say, lad, going to be all day?”

”Co else, o and not worryhis words the next moment for fear that they should excite suspicion

But they did not, for Rahed and walked away

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

As the prisoner sat listening to the bang of the trap-door and the rattling of the bolts, he could hardly contain hi back and finding hione, he forced himself to stay where he was; and to pass away the time he opened the basket Ram had now left in place of the other, and forced himself to eat

But he could hardly s the food, which seeive up and hasten back to his hen his heart leaped, for there was the distant sound of the bolts being drawn, and a ht came slowly towards him and stopped

”Just reh

Mother said I was to be sure and take back that basket Put the stuff out on the sail Hullo, what you been doing to your hands?”