"And so you shall be, Sir Henry. It's all right, and I'll say no more about it, only that it's dangerous leaving a young fellow like that shut up. These boys are as active as monkeys, and we might return at any time and find the young rascal gone. But you'll do your best to bring him round?"

"I will," replied Sir Henry, "for more reasons than one. Look here, Martin, if I spoke too angrily to you just now I beg your pardon, but you touch upon a tender point when you talk of rough measures towards that boy. I told you that he was my child's companion years ago--in fact, I used to look upon him quite as a son. There," he added hastily, "you may trust me to do my best. Good-night."

"Good-night, Sir Henry, good-night," said the skipper effusively. "I'll trust you. Good-night."

Sir Henry's steps were heard to die away, and so silent was everything that Hilary concluded that the skipper must have also gone; but just as he had made up his mind that this was the case some one uttered an oath.

"Give me the keys, Allstone," Hilary heard the next moment; and once more he concluded that all was over, for there was the jingle of the iron, and it seemed that now he was left to himself Martin was about to visit the young prisoner, and try to frighten him into following out his wishes.

Hilary was in despair, but he made up his mind what to do, and that was to fling open the door and walk swiftly across the place where the men were lying about, as soon as he heard the skipper and Allstone go into the old chapel.

To his dismay, however, the man came straight to the door where Hilary was standing, raised the latch, opened it, and as the young officer drew back the heavy door struck him in the chest, but before he could recover from his surprise there was a sharp bang, with the accompanying rattle of the great latch, and as a dull echo came from below, the key was turned, and the lock shot into the stone cheek.

"Curse him and his fine airs!" Hilary heard the skipper say, hoa.r.s.ely.

"I shall have the young villain bringing the cutter's crew down upon us.

I wish his neck was broken."

"Put him in the top room, then," said Allstone; "he'll break his neck trying to get away."

"Not he," said the skipper; "those middies can climb like cats. He's safe enough now, I suppose."

"Oh, yes," said Allstone, "I went and had a look at the window-bars to-night."

"Safe enough, yes," muttered Hilary, as he heard the departing steps; "they've locked me up safe enough. Was anything ever so vexatious?"

As he heard the clang of a door he placed his eye to the open keyhole, and through it he could see into the great kitchen, which now seemed to be lit only by the glow from a great wood fire, for the shadows danced on the wall, and when now and then the fire fell together and the flames danced up more brightly he could make out quite definitely a pair of the shadows, which were evidently those of a couple of half-rec.u.mbent men.

Just on one side too he could plainly see part of a man's leg. No shadow this, but a limb of some one who had thrown himself upon the floor; and Hilary rightly judged that the crew of the lugger were s.n.a.t.c.hing an hour or two's repose previous to being called up by their leader.

The laughing and talking were silenced, and he could hear nothing but the occasional crackle of burning wood.

He raised the latch softly, pressing against the door the while; but it was fast locked, and by running his fingers down the side he could feel where the great square bolt of the lock ran into the stone wall. Escape that way was cut off, and ready to stamp with mortification Hilary stood upon the step at the top of the flight asking himself what he had best do.

There was no chance of getting away that night, so he felt that he must give it up, and the sinking despondency that came over him was for the moment terrible; but reaction soon sets in when one is on the buoyant side of twenty, and he recalled the fact that, though he might be obliged to return to his prison, he had found a way of exit; and if he went back, lowered the stone and dusted it over, he might come down another time, night or morning, and find the door open; in fact, he might keep on trying till he did.

It was very disheartening, but there seemed to be nothing else to be done, and he stood there thinking of how nearly he had escaped, but at the same he was obliged to own how happily he had avoided detection.

Then the remembrance of the well came back, and the cold perspiration broke out on his hands and brow at the bare recollection.

"Bah! what's the good of thinking about that?" he said to himself; and he was about to descend when he fancied he heard a faint rustling noise on the other side of the door, and then whispers.

The sounds ceased directly, and he bent down so that his eye was to the keyhole, when, to his surprise, he found that something was between him and the light.

Just then the whispers began again, and placing his ear this time to the great hole, he plainly heard two men speaking:

"I think you can do it without a light," said one.

"Ay, easy enough. You stop, and if you hear Allstone coming, give just one pipe, and I'll be up directly."

"All right. Get the hollands this time. Gently with that key."

Hilary would have run down, but he was afraid of detection, for just then there was the harsh grating noise of a key being thrust into the big lock, the bolt creaked back, the latch was raised, and the door softly pushed open as he pressed himself back against the wall, and remained there in the darkness, almost afraid to breathe.

It was intensely dark now, even when the door was opened, and as Hilary stood there behind the door he heard some one descend, while another stood at the top, breathing hard, and evidently listening to the rustling of the man down below.

Several minutes pa.s.sed, and then the man at the top of the stairs muttered impatiently, and went down two or three of the degrees.

"Pst! d.i.c.k!" he whispered.

"Ay, ay."

"Be quick, man!"

"I can't find 'em," was the whispered reply. "They've packed the cases atop of 'em."

"Jolterhead!" muttered the other impatiently. "Why, they're just at the back."

"Come down," was whispered from below, and to Hilary's great delight he heard the man on the watch go softly below.

Now was Hilary's opportunity, and gliding softly from behind the door, he stepped out into the stone pa.s.sage, and saw before him a faint light shining under the bottom of the door which the men had evidently closed when they left the kitchen.

He might have locked the two fellows in the vault, but that would have caused needless noise, and perhaps hindered his escape, so without further hesitation he stepped lightly along the pa.s.sage, and softly pressed against the farther door.

It yielded easily, and he found himself looking into a great low-ceiled kitchen, whose ancient black rafters shone in the glow from a huge fireplace, upon whose hearth the remains of a large fire flickered and sent forth a few dying sparks.

Around it, and stretched in a variety of postures upon the floor, were some eight or ten men fast asleep; and what took Hilary's attention more than all was another door at the far corner, which it was now his aim to reach.

But to do this he would have to step over two of the men, and there was the possibility that, though they all seemed to be asleep, one or more might be awake and watchful.

It needed no little firmness to make the attempt; but if he were to escape, he knew it must be done.

"If they wake they will only take me back," thought Hilary, "so I may as well try."

He hesitated no longer, but stepping on tiptoe he pa.s.sed on between two of the sleeping men, and was in the act of stepping over another, when a gruff voice from a corner exclaimed:--

"Why don't you lie down. You'll be glad of a nap by and by."

Hilary felt as if his heart had leaped to his mouth, and he thought he was discovered; but the words were spoken in a sleepy tone, and from the sound that followed it was evident that the man had turned over.

Hilary waited a few minutes, and once more resumed his progress towards the door, making every movement with the greatest caution; and he was already half way to his goal when he heard the grating of the lock at the top of the dark cellar stairs, and a low whispering told him that the men were about to return.

There was not a moment to lose, and stepping lightly on, he reached the door, raised the great wooden latch by which it was secured, and pa.s.sed in, while just as he closed it he saw through the opening the two men who had been below enter the place.

The fire was throwing out but little light now, but he could see that they carried what looked like a little spirit keg, which they set down by the fire. The closing door shut out the rest.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.