Part 58 (1/2)

”I thought they nals”

”Well, lers ashore, where wefor 'eh he's short-handed, they could un”

”You would not put back, then, after seeing these lights?”

”Not likely, with the orders we've got, sir,” said the master; and the men rowed on, and in due time reached the cove, where all was perfectly quiet, the tide falling, and as they landed quite a noisy tramp had to be made over the fine pebbles, in which the e of the boats, the others were fores of the few fishermen of the place, the party struck off for the top of the cliffs, to follow the rugged, faint track which was more often lost, and the arduous tramp was continued hour after hour, till, partly frohts, partly froan to calculate that they e cliff

It had been a terrible walk in the darkness, for the cliff tops were as if a gigantic storm had taken place when that part of the coast was formed, and a series ofand becarooved valley, which had to be climbed and descended in turn, till the men vowed that the distance was double what it would have been by road, and they certainly were not exaggerating much

It was only here and there that the party had been able to follow the edge of the cliff For the most part prudence forced them to keep well in, but at ti the sides of slopes of thin short grass, covered with tiny snails, whose shells crushed beneath their feet with a peculiar crisp sound; and had it been daylight, the probabilities were that they would have given these risky spots a wider berth

”Call a halt, Gurr,” whispered Archy at last; and it was done Then, giving the master his ideas, thespace before being formed in a line, with a space of a few yards between the e of the cliff, the other some distance inland

In this way theevery depression and clump of bared stone carefully, and at a word uttered by the man who felt that he had found any place likely to prove to be an entrance to a cave or quarry, all were to halt, the as to be passed along, and the officers were to exaain

The plan was good, and the long line swept slowly along, the halt being called soon after they had started, but the stoppage was in vain, the h piled-up collection of stones froes cruain in the darkness, the officers pacing along portions of the line to urge on the e

The advice was needed, for all at once, just as Archy was leaving the edge, there was a faint cry; the halt was called, and the young officer, closely followed by dick, went quickly to the spot from whence the cry had come

”It's Bob Harris, sir,” said the last o, and heard hi to chill, Archy crept in the darkness close to the cliff edge, to find that it sloped dohere he stood

”Give me your hand, dick,” he whispered

”Lie down, o down too,” said the sailor in a husky voice, which told of the horror he felt

It was good advice, and theit in force just as Gurr ca up

”What is it?” he panted

”Bob Harris gone over, sir,” whispered dick

”And no rope with us!” exclai, e Hi! Are you hurt?”

”No, sir,” cao over”

”Lie still, then, till we pull you up Mr Gurr, I can almost touch him I could, if some one lowered me a little more”

”No, no, my lad, no, no!” whispered the master ”Here, dick, and you,”

he said in short, quick, decisive tones, as he lay down and looked over

”Now, then, four ood grip of his?”