recess began. So I took advantage of the darkness, when they were
engaged at the far end of the kitchen, to drop from my perch and slip
through the trap-door.

The peril of this movement only dawned on me when I found myself in the
narrow, rocky cave. If this secret passage were guarded at the other
end, as was most likely, by sentinels from the ship, what was to become
of me? However, there was no retreating now. So I groped my way
forward, down the ever-widening passage, till at last I found myself in
a great wide-mouthed cave, full of water, in the middle of which ran a
smooth causeway of stones, forming a kind of natural pier and landing-
place. The rocky ledges running out beyond on either side formed a
little harbour, in which, in the roughest weather, the water was fairly
calm; and a further tongue of rock beyond that, rising some thirty or
forty feet, and seeming to any one approaching it from without to be
part of the cliffs, offered a safe riding-place for a ship of moderate
draught.

As good luck would have it, the cave was empty. The _Arrow_ must have
come in after I had crossed the lough that evening. And the French
skipper and his mate had evidently left their crew to anchor and clear
the vessel in the roads while they reconnoitred the house.

I could see very little of the ship through the darkness, and, indeed,
was too busy making myself scarce to heed her.

Nor had I much time to spare. For almost before I had got round the
ledge and clambered partly up the cliff at the top of the cave mouth, I
heard a boat putting off and voices making for the little harbour.

After that, fatigue and hunger did their work with me, and despite the
peril of my position I fell asleep, and never woke till the sun was high
and hot in the heavens.

Then, when I looked out, I saw as pretty a little schooner as I had ever
set eyes on lying in the roads. I used to think it hard to beat the
_Cigale_ for looks, but the _Arrow_ was her superior in every way. She
was a bigger vessel, and armed at every port. Her lines were both light
and strong, and by the cut of her rigging I could fancy she had the
speed of a greyhound.

The sight of her set all my old sea-longing aflame. Pirate as she was,
it would be good, I thought, to be on her and face the open sea, far
away from my persecutors and enemies--away from Knockowen, and
Kilgorman, and--

Here I stopped short. Knockowen, next to the _Cigale_ where Tim was,