t felt
as if released from some tremendous pressure, for he had nerved himself
for a tremendous struggle, and the danger had passed.

A minute later there was a sudden outburst of voices and a roar of
laughter, after which Hilary fancied he could hear Allstone shouting and
angrily abusing the men. Then once more came silence, and he lay there
and waited.

He half expected to see the men come back, but an hour passed and there
was not a sound save that of the birds in the distance; and at last,
after fighting down the intense desire to be up and doing till he could
master himself no longer, Hilary parted the leaves and stepped out into
the gully to continue his course downwards.

He stopped in a stooping position to listen, for he fancied he had heard
a rustle.

"Rabbit," he muttered, directly after; and as he did so a tremendous
weight fell upon his back, throwing him forward upon his face, where, as
he struggled round and tried to get up, it was to find that the great
sturdy fellow he had before seen was sitting upon his chest.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

BACK IN BONDS.

"That's the way I do with the rabbuds, shipmet," said the man laughing.

"You dog! you scoundrel!" panted Hilary, continuing his ineffectual
struggle.

"Better be still, boy," said the man coolly. "You'll only hurt
yourself."

As he spoke he wrested the cutlass from the young man's hand, after
which he coolly took out a tobacco-bag and helped himself to a quid.

Hilary felt his helplessness, and after another furious effort, during
which he partly raised his captor from his position of 'vantage, he lay
still and looked in the man's face.

"Look here!" he said; "what'll you take to let me go?"

The man looked at him in an amused fashion, and then laughed.

"Do you hear?" cried Hilary. "Come, get off me; you hurt my chest."

"Yes. I hear," said the man coolly.

"Then why don't you answer? Quick, before the others come! What will
you take to let me go?"

"What'll you take, youngster, to join us?"

"What do you take me for?" cried Hilary. "How dare you ask me such a
question?"

"Just by the same law that you ask me," said the man coolly. "Do you
think everybody is to be bought and sold?"

"But look here," cried Hilary. "I have been shut up there, and I want
to get away; I must get away."

"To bring the crew of the cutter to rout us up yonder, eh!" said the
man, laughing. "Now, come, I suppose you would call yourself a y