There was nothing visible but soft green rolling cliff top, and he looked vainly for some sign of the enemy, eager to go on, but taught caution, and not knowing but what Ram might have taken one direction to lure the pursuers away, while the men were in hiding in another.

But, as he waited and scanned the place around, he suddenly caught sight of what seemed to be a rift against the sky in the edge of a cliff which rose up rapidly, and his heart gave a great throb.

"Let Ram play what tricks he likes," he said, "I know where I am now."

"Well, my lad, well!" panted Gurr, running up, followed by the men.

"Don't say they've got away!"

"No," cried Archy excitedly. "I think I can lead you to the foxes'

hole. This way."

And, as he spoke, there came in rapid succession a couple of dull thuds from seaward, and a cheer from the crew behind, as, led by Archy Raystoke, the men now went over the undulating cliff top at a trot.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

The discovery of the way through the cliff made clear to Archy several matters connected with the appearance and disappearance of Ram and his companion with the boat, for upon more than one occasion it had seemed impossible that they could have rowed six miles to the cove and come back again. And, excited as the midshipman was, these ideas occurred to him while running along over the top of the down-like cliff.

On looking back beyond the first boat's crew, the head of the second crew could be seen as they reached the top of the zigzag path, where the boatswain waited till the last man was up, and then gave the word for them to double after their fellows.

Seeing that he was so well supported, the master felt that he was ready for any force the smugglers might have to back them up, and, turning to Archy, he suggested that the midshipman should point out the way into the smugglers' cave, and then leave them to do the work.

"It will be time enough to talk about that, Mr Gurr," said Archy rather breathlessly, "when we have found the place."

"But I thought you had found it, my lad!"

"After the tricks played us, I shall not be certain until I see you all right in the cave."

"But you think it's close here?"

"Yes; unless I am quite wrong, the old quarry is in that great cliff where the gra.s.s runs right up to the edge."

"Then if it's there, and those fellows have gone in, we'll find the way, and go in too."

"Oh!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Archy, stopping short.

"What's the matter, lad?--hurt?"

"No. The place is dark as pitch, and we have no lights."

"Then we'll strike some with our pistol locks, and set fire to some wood. Never mind the lights. If it's light enough for them, it will be light enough for us, lad. Let's find the way in, and that will be enough. They won't show fight. Let's get on, and we shall be marching them all out tied two and two before they're much older."

The party kept on along the rugged undulating top of the cliffs, till, after a careful inspection in all directions, Archy declared that they must now be over the cavern.

The second boat's crew had overtaken them now, and, upon receiving this information, the master spread his men out a few yards apart, to sweep the ground after the fashion observed on the previous night.

"You must find it now, my lads," he said. "I should say what you've got to look for is a hole pretty well grown over with green stuff right up at the end of a bit of a gully, and looking as if no one had been there for a hundred years."

"Yes, something like the mouths of the old quarries we have seen," added Archy.

"Then there's something of the sort down yonder," cried d.i.c.k, pointing to a spot where the ground seemed to have sunk down.

"Yes," cried Archy eagerly; "and that's the place. Look here, Mr Gurr."

"What at, my lad?"

"The gra.s.s."

"Well, we want to find smugglers, not gra.s.s, my lad."

"Yes, but don't you see that some one has gone over here lately. The dew is all brushed off, and you can see the footmarks."

"I can't, my lad. Perhaps you can with your young eyes."

"Oh, it's all right," growled the boatswain.

"Keep a sharp look-out, then, and mind no one gets by."

The little force advanced, with the men spread out to right and left, the officers in the centre, following the trail which led right to the gully-like depression, once doubtless a well-worn track, but now completely smoothed over and gra.s.s-grown; and there, sure enough, as discovered only a short time before by Celia, was the scooped-out hollow filled with fern, bramble, and wild clematis, and the rough steps down, and the archway dimly seen beyond the loose stones.

"Halt!" cried the master; and, after a careful inspection had shown that the footprints in the dewy gra.s.s had gone no farther than the entrance, the men were called up, and stood round the pit.

There it all was, exactly as Archy had pictured it in his own mind: the loose stones at the bottom of the hole covering, he was sure, the trap-door he had so often heard opened and shut; but, as he went down a few steps in his eagerness, and scanned the place, he was puzzled and disappointed; for the trap-door, if that was the spot where it lay, was covered, and therefore the men could not be in the cave.

"Bad job we've got no lanthorns," said Gurr, who was looking over Archy's shoulder at the low-browed arch of the pa.s.sage leading right in; "and it looks bad travelling, but in we've got to go if they won't surrender. Let me go first, my lad."

For answer the midshipman went down to the bottom of the rough steps, and stood over the trap-door on the loose stones.

"No, no, my lad," said Gurr kindly, as he joined him. "Too rough a job for you. I'll lead, and, hang it! I shall have to crawl. Not very good work for one's clothes. Come along, my lads. You, Mr Raystoke, and four men stop back, and form the reserve, to take prisoner any one who tries to escape."

The men descended till every step was occupied, the little force extending from top to bottom.

"Stop a minute, Mr Gurr. Let the bo's'n guard the entry here; I must go with you to act as guide."

"It aren't all pa.s.sage, then, like this?"

"No; it's a great open place supported by pillars, big enough to lose yourselves in. But stop; that can't be the way, sir."

"Oh, hang it all, my lad!" cried the master in disappointed tones.

"Don't say that."

"But I do," cried Archy. "There ought to be a trap-door covered with stones leading down a place like a well."

"Yes; that's what we've come down."

"No, no, another. I think it was down here."

He stamped his foot on the loose stones, and then uttered a cry of joy, for there was a curious hollow sound, and on stooping down he pulled away some of the great shaley fragments, and laid bare a rough plank with a bolt partly visible.