rope, and you can help me haul him up. He'll make
it fast enough, I know."

As he spoke the man rose up, threw the ring of rope on the rock by his
side, set the end free, made a knot in it, and gave it to Joe to hold
while, after a little examination to make sure that it would uncoil
easily, he raised the ring, stood back a couple of yards, swung the coil
to and fro horizontally on a level with his left shoulder and then
launched it seaward with a vigorous throw, making a snatch directly
after at the end close to where Joe held on with both hands.

Away went the rope with the rings gracefully uncoiling and straightening
out as the stout hemp writhed like some long thin serpent, opening out
more and more, till, far away below them, they saw it hang down, swaying
to and fro like a pendulum.

"Not long enough," cried Joe, sadly.

"Good two hundred foot, my lad; nigh upon five-and-thirty fathom; p'raps
he'll climb to it. Can you see the end?"

"No--no," said Joe; "it hangs over beyond that block that sticks out?"

"And it's below that he's a-lying, aren't it?"

"I don't know--I think so. It's of no use. I must slide down to him.
Ah, stop a minute, let's give it a swing to and fro. Perhaps he can't
see it. Hurrah! I've got a bite."

"Nay!" cried Hardock, excitedly.

"Yes, it's all right. Feel."

But there was no need, for at that moment there was a most unmistakable
tug.

CHAPTER SIX.

AT AN AWKWARD CORNER.

"Hurrah!" yelled Joe, half mad with excitement. "It is long enough, and
he has got it. He was trying if it was safe."

"Hooroar!" shouted Hardock, hoarsely, for he was as excited as the boy.
"Hold tight, my lad; don't let him pull it out of your hands. But he
won't, for I've got it, too. Why, it's all right, young Jollivet, and
the old mine goblins had nothing to do with it, after all. We'll soon
have him up."

"Yes, we'll soon have him up," cried Joe, hysterically, and he burst
into a strange laugh. "I say, how he frightened us, though!"

And in those moments of relief from the tension they had felt, it seemed
like nothing that the lad was two hundred feet down the terrible
precipice, about to swing at the end of the rope which had played him so
false but a short time before.

"He's making the line fast round him, Sam. I can feel it quiver and
jerk. Shout down to him to be sure and tie the knots tight."

"Nay, nay, you let him be. He don't want no flurrying. Trust him for
th