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 word was to be
passed along, and the officers were to examine the place before the line
went on again.

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
midshipman and Gurr finding before them only a rough piled-up collection
of stones from which the earth had in the course of ages crumbled or
been washed away.

On again in the darkness, the officers pacing along portions of the line
to urge on the men to be careful, and warning those near the cliff edge.

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 man they reached. "I see him a
moment ago, and heard him cry out, and then he was gone."

With his blood seeming to chill, Archy crept in the darkness close to
the cliff edge, to find that it sloped down where he stood.

"Give me your hand, Dick," he whispered.

"Lie down, my lad, and I'll go down too," said the sailor in a husky
voice, which told of the horror he felt.

It was good advice, and the midshipman was putting it in force just as
Gurr came tearing up.

"What is it?" he panted.

"Bob Harris gone over, sir," whispered Dick.

"And no rope with us!" exclaimed the master. "See anything, my lad?"

"Yes; he is just below here on a ledge. Hi! Are you hurt?"

"No, sir," came up faintly; "but I durstn't move, or I should go 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 more men here. Now, who'll volunteer to lean over and
get a good grip of him, while we hold by your legs?"

"I will," said Dick.

"'Spose I'm as strong as any on 'em. But who's going to hold my legs?"

"Two men, my lad, and there'll be others to hold them."

"Right," said Dick shortly; and the men lay down, forming themselves
into a human chain, the end of which Dick was lowered slowly down the
slope and over the edge.

"Look here, my man," sa