was
unmistakably a human cry. Their excitement now grew intense.

"Where did it come from?" cried Phil.

"Wal, it kine o' seemed to me that it came back thar," said the
captain, pointing to the woods.

"'Deed an it didn't," cried Pat; "not a bit of it. It was from the
shore, jest ahead; from the pint, so it was, or I'm a nagur."

"I think it came from the shore, too," said Phil; "but it seemed to be
behind us."

"Niver a bit," cried Pat; "not back there. We've been there, an
whoever it was wud have shouted afore, so he wud. No, it's ahead at
the pint. He's jest heard us, an he's shoutin afther us. Hooray!
Hurry up, an we'll be there in time to save him."

Pat's confidence was not without its effect on the others. Without
waiting any longer, they at once set off at a run, stopping at
intervals to yell, and then listening for a response. To their
delight, that response came over and over again; and to their still
greater joy, the sound each time was evidently louder.

Beyond a doubt, they were drawing nearer to the place from which the
sounds came.

This stimulated them all the more, so that they hurried on faster.

The edge of the cliff was not covered by any trees, but the ground at
its summit had been cleared, so that progress was not at all difficult.
They therefore did not take much time in traversing the space that
intervened between the spot where they had first heard the cry, and the
point where the cliff terminated. The cry grew steadily louder, all
the way, until at last, when they approached the point, it seemed to
come directly from beneath.

The cliff here was perpendicular for about forty feet down, and below
this it seemed to retreat, so that nothing could be seen. The tide was
on the ebb; but it was still so high that its waves beat below them,
and seemed to strike the base of the rock. Beyond, on the right, there
was a sloping ledge, which descended from the cliffs into the sea, over
which the waves were now playing.

It was from the hollow and unseen recess down at the foot of the cliff
that the cry seemed to arise, which had come in response to the calls
of those on the summit. On reaching the place above, they knelt down,
and looked over, but were not able to distinguish any human being, or
any sign of the presence of one. But as they looked anxiously over,
the cry arose, not very loud, but quite distinct now, and assured them
that this was the place which sheltered the one who