d on one side, while a look of
fierce anger overspread his face, seemed to listen intently.

Minnie did not observe this action for a few seconds, but, wondering why
he paused, she looked up, and in surprise exclaimed--"Ruby! what do
you--"

"Hush! Minnie, and don't look round," said he in a low tone of intense
anxiety, yet remaining immovably in the position which he had assumed on
first sitting down by the girl's side, although the swelled veins of his
neck and his flushed forehead told of a fierce conflict of feeling
within. "It's the press-gang after me again. I got a glance of one o'
them out of the tail of my eye, creeping round the rocks. They think I
haven't seen them. Darling Minnie--one kiss. Take care of mother if I
don't turn up soon."

"But how will you escape?"

"Hush, dearest girl! I want to have as much of you as I can before I
go. Don't be afraid. They're honest British tars after all, and won't
hurt _you_, Minnie."

Still seated at the girl's side, as if perfectly at his ease, yet
speaking in quick earnest tones, and drawing her closely to him, Ruby
waited until he heard a stealthy tread behind him. Then he sprang up
with the speed of thought, uttered a laugh of defiance as the sailors
rushed towards him, and leaping wildly off the cliff, fell a height of
about fifty feet into the sea.

Minnie uttered a scream of horror, and fell fainting into the arms of
the bewildered lieutenant.

"Down the cliffs--quick! he can't escape if you look alive. Stay, one
of you, and look after this girl. She'll roll over the edge on
recovering, perhaps."

It was easy to order the men down the cliffs, but not so easy for them
to obey, for the rocks were almost perpendicular at the place, and
descended sheer into the water.

"Surround the spot," shouted the lieutenant. "Scatter yourselves--away!
there's no beach here."

The lieutenant was right. The men extended themselves along the top of
the cliffs so as to prevent Ruby's escape, in the event of his trying to
ascend them, and two sailors stationed themselves in ambush in the
narrow pass at the spot where the cliffs terminate in the direction of
the town.

The leap taken by Ruby was a bold one. Few men could have ventured it;
indeed, the youth himself would have hesitated had he not been driven
almost to desperation. But he was a practised swimmer and diver, and
knew well the risk he ran. He struck the water with tremendous force
and sent u