a beyond. Behind them heaved up the
mass of the castle, mighty and somber. A fierce wind was blowing in from
the gulf, and it whistled and screamed about the great walls. The rain,
bitter and cold, lashed against them like hail. Shut off so long from
the outer air they shivered now, but the shiver was merely of the air.
Their spirit was as high as ever and they faced their crisis with
undaunted souls.

Yet they were far from escape. The wind was of uncommon strength,
seeming to increase steadily in power, and a half mile of wild waters
raced between them and the town. Weaker wills would have yielded and
turned back to prison, but not they. They ran eagerly along the edge of
the masonry, pelted by rain and wind.

"There must be a boat tied up somewhere along here," exclaimed Ned. "The
castle, of course, keeps communication with the town!"

"Yes, here it is!" said Obed. "Fortune favors the persistent. It's only
a small boat, and it's a big sea before us, but, Ned, my lad, we've got
to try it. We can't look any further. Listen! That's the alarm in the
castle."

They heard shouts and clash of arms above the roaring of the wind. They
picked in furious haste at the rope that held the boat, cast it loose,
and sprang in, securing the oars. The waves at once lifted them up and
tossed them wildly. It was perhaps fortunate that they lost control of
their boat for a minute or two. Two musket shots were fired at them, but
good aim in the darkness at such a bobbing object was impossible. Ned
heard one of the bullets whistle near, and it gave him a queer, creepy
feeling to realize that for the first time in his life someone was
firing at him to kill.

"Can you row, Ned?" asked White.

"Yes."

"Then pull with all your strength. Bend as low as you can at the same
time. They'll be firing at us as long as we are in range."

They strove for the cover of the darkness, but they were compelled to
devote most of their efforts to keeping themselves afloat. The little
boat was tossed here and there like a bit of plank. Spray from the sea
was dashed over them, and, in almost a moment, they were wet through and
through. The captured musket lay in the bottom and rolled against their
feet. The wind shrieked continually like some wild animal in pain.

Many torches appeared on the wharf that led up to the castle, and there
was a noise of men shouting to one another. The torches disclosed the
little boat rising and falling with the swell of