ed away first, and I followed him closely, as I judged by
the voices of the villains who had him in charge. What became of
Stretcher I could not learn, though I supposed that he was detained in
the cavern. Even now, I could scarcely have believed that the smugglers
were going really to put their threat into execution, had it not been
for their acknowledgment of the murder they had committed, and the
perfect confidence with which they exhibited their cavern, and the
smuggled goods it contained; for, though taken blindfold to the place,
we could, of course, have little difficulty in finding it again; and
they must have been well aware that, if we escaped, we should do our
best to discover them and bring them to justice. They appeared to me to
be dragging us for a very long distance. We went up and down hill, and
along the seashore, and then we again mounted, it seemed, to the top of
the cliffs, and went over several miles of ground. I thought we should
never get to High-Peak Cliff. I cannot say that I was in any hurry to
get there, which is not surprising, considering the pleasant prospect
which I had before me. At length we ascended a considerable height, it
seemed; and I concluded, from what I heard some of the smugglers remark,
that we had reached the place of the intended murder. I shuddered as I
felt that I was standing at the edge of the precipice from which I was
in a few minutes to be hurled; a cold perspiration burst out over me,
and I felt an awful horror, such as I had never before experienced. I
was aware that any instant, without a moment's preparation, a shove
might send me rolling over and over down to the rocks below, where I
must instantly be dashed to pieces, as I judged that I was standing
close to the very edge of the precipice; and I even fancied that I could
hear the sound of the water breaking on the sands, many hundred feet
beneath, borne upward on the calm night air. Still, there I stood, as
yet unharmed, and I found the delay was caused by some of the party,
whose voices I could hear at a little distance, holding a consultation
in a whisper. I was hoping that they, more merciful than their leader,
were proposing not to execute his directions, when I was undeceived by
their return. One of them then addressed us.

"We give you and the youngster, Lieutenant, three minutes more to
prepare for death," said the villain, in a diabolically cold tone;
"after that, we intend to hang you over the