skipper, and to lash them hand and foot until the irons could be brought
and riveted on.

This was done; and an hour afterwards, to the grief and consternation of
all concerned in the plan of escape, the two to whom they chiefly looked
for its success were marched off to the "Black Hole," each man's ankles
being connected together by a couple of close-fitting iron bands and two
long fetter-links.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

BOB GIVES WAY TO VIOLENCE.

Great was the consternation and distress at Staunton Cottage that night
when the workers returned from the shipyard and reported the arrest and
imprisonment of Captain Staunton and Lance Evelin. That these two
should be placed in durance at all was regarded as a serious misfortune;
but, coming as it did at so critical a time, just as the work on the
schooner was drawing near its completion and when the long-looked-for
opportunity to escape might present itself at almost any moment, it was
justly regarded as a disaster of the gravest character. The imprisoned
men were the two who had most completely retained their coolness and
self-possession throughout the whole of the reverses which had befallen
the party; it was their fertile brains which had devised the audaciously
daring plan of escape, and without them the rest of the party felt that
they dare not do anything for fear of marring the whole scheme. And
there was still another misfortune attending this arrest: supposing a
favourable opportunity presented itself for the carrying out of the
plan, it could not be seized so long as these two men were prisoners;
all, even to Dale, were fully agreed that escape without them was not to
be thought of for a moment. For two of the party--poor Mrs Staunton
and Blanche--there was still another source of anxiety. Now that Ralli
had at last completely laid aside the mask of friendliness which had at
first concealed his feeling of ill-will--now that he had cast off the
last remains of a semblance of forbearance--to what terrible lengths
might he not allow his vindictiveness to carry him? Would he stop short
at the humiliation of imprisonment and fetters? Or was it not too
greatly to be dreaded that he would now proceed also to active violence!
This fear was fully shared by the rest of the party, but they were
careful to hide it from the two poor heart-broken women who were chiefly
interested in the prisoners, striving rather to inspire them with hopes
which they themselves did