d
out of the pit. With a shriek of fright Duncan sprang back from the
edge of the dungeon; and that with such force that he knocked over his
two companions. Moreover, in falling, they let go the rope; when they
rose again they looked round in the twilight, but could find no trace
of it. It had slipped over the edge. And there was no sound from
below.

Rob was the first to regain his senses. He rushed to the edge of the
hole and stooped over.

'Nicol, are ye there?'

His heart jumped within him when he heard his brother's voice.

'Yes, I am; and the rope too. How am I to get up?'

Rob turned quickly.

'Duncan, down to the boat with ye! Loosen the lug-sail halyards, and
bring them up--quick, quick!'

Duncan was off like a young roe. He slid down the crags; he dashed
through the larch-wood; he jumped into the boat on the beach.
Presently he was making his way as quickly back again, the halyards
coiled round his arm so as not to prevent his climbing.

'Nicol!' shouted Rob.

'Ay?'

'I am lowering the halyards to ye. Fasten them to the end of the rope.'

'I canna see them.'

'Grope all round till ye come to them.'

And so, in process of time, the end of the rope was hauled up, and
thereafter--to the great relief of every one--and to his own, no doubt,
Nicol appeared alive and well, though somewhat anxious to get away from
the neighbourhood of that dungeon. He went immediately out into the
warm summer air, followed by the others.

'Man, what a fright I got!' he said at last, having recovered his
speech.

'Ay, and so did we,' Neil admitted.

'What was't?' said he, timidly; as if almost afraid to put his own
fears and suspicions into words.

'I dinna ken,' Neil said, looking rather frightened.

'Ye dinna ken!' Rob MacNicol said, with a scornful laugh. 'Ye ought to
ken, then. It was nothing but a lot of bats; and Duncan yelled as if
he had seen twenty warlocks; and knocked us over, so that we lost the
rope. Come! boys, begin your games now; the steamer will be in early
the day.'

Well, it seemed easier to dismiss superstitious fears out here in the
sunlight. Perhaps it had been only bats, after all. Warlocks did not
whirr in the air--at least, they were understood not to do so. Witches
were supposed to reserve their aerial performances for the night-time.
Perhaps it was only bats, as Rob asserted. Indeed, it would be
safer--especially in Rob's presence--to accept his explanation of the