an hour or two's repose previous to being called up by their
leader.

The laughing and talking were silenced, and he could hear nothing but
the occasional crackle of burning wood.

He raised the latch softly, pressing against the door the while; but it
was fast locked, and by running his fingers down the side he could feel
where the great square bolt of the lock ran into the stone wall. Escape
that way was cut off, and ready to stamp with mortification Hilary stood
upon the step at the top of the flight asking himself what he had best
do.

There was no chance of getting away that night, so he felt that he must
give it up, and the sinking despondency that came over him was for the
moment terrible; but reaction soon sets in when one is on the buoyant
side of twenty, and he recalled the fact that, though he might be
obliged to return to his prison, he had found a way of exit; and if he
went back, lowered the stone and dusted it over, he might come down
another time, night or morning, and find the door open; in fact, he
might keep on trying till he did.

It was very disheartening, but there seemed to be nothing else to be
done, and he stood there thinking of how nearly he had escaped, but at
the same he was obliged to own how happily he had avoided detection.

Then the remembrance of the well came back, and the cold perspiration
broke out on his hands and brow at the bare recollection.

"Bah! what's the good of thinking about that?" he said to himself; and
he was about to descend when he fancied he heard a faint rustling noise
on the other side of the door, and then whispers.

The sounds ceased directly, and he bent down so that his eye was to the
keyhole, when, to his surprise, he found that something was between him
and the light.

Just then the whispers began again, and placing his ear this time to the
great hole, he plainly heard two men speaking:

"I think you can do it without a light," said one.

"Ay, easy enough. You stop, and if you hear Allstone coming, give just
one pipe, and I'll be up directly."

"All right. Get the hollands this time. Gently with that key."

Hilary would have run down, but he was afraid of detection, for just
then there was the harsh grating noise of a key being thrust into the
big lock, the bolt creaked back, the latch was raised, and the door
softly pushed open as he pressed himself back against the wall, and
remained there in the darkness, almost afraid to breathe.

It w