n tied her two wrists together with his handkerchief, and then with
a cord over the handkerchief.

"What are you doing?" asked Milady, with surprise.

"Pass your arms around my neck, and fear nothing."

"But I shall make you lose your balance, and we shall both be dashed to
pieces."

"Don't be afraid. I am a sailor."

Not a second was to be lost. Milady passed her two arms round Felton's
neck, and let herself slip out of the window. Felton began to descend
the ladder slowly, step by step. Despite the weight of two bodies, the
blast of the hurricane shook them in the air.

All at once Felton stopped.

"What is the matter?" asked Milady.

"Silence," said Felton, "I hear footsteps."

"We are discovered!"

There was a silence of several seconds.

"No," said Felton, "it is nothing."

"But what, then, is the noise?"

"That of the patrol going their rounds."

"Where is their road?"

"Just under us."

"They will discover us!"

"No, if it does not lighten."

"But they will run against the bottom of the ladder."

"Fortunately it is too short by six feet."

"Here they are! My God!"

"Silence!"

Both remained suspended, motionless and breathless, within twenty
paces of the ground, while the patrol passed beneath them laughing and
talking. This was a terrible moment for the fugitives.

The patrol passed. The noise of their retreating footsteps and the
murmur of their voices soon died away.

"Now," said Felton, "we are safe."

Milady breathed a deep sigh and fainted.

Felton continued to descend. Near the bottom of the ladder, when he
found no more support for his feet, he clung with his hands; at length,
arrived at the last step, he let himself hang by the strength of his
wrists, and touched the ground. He stooped down, picked up the bag of
money, and placed it between his teeth. Then he took Milady in his arms,
and set off briskly in the direction opposite to that which the patrol
had taken. He soon left the pathway of the patrol, descended across the
rocks, and when arrived on the edge of the sea, whistled.

A similar signal replied to him; and five minutes after, a boat
appeared, rowed by four men.

The boat approached as near as it could to the shore; but there was not
depth enough of water for it to touch land. Felton walked into the
sea up to his middle, being unwilling to trust his precious burden to
anybody.

Fortunately the storm began to subside, but still the sea was disturbed.
The