's-eye, and now I turned it on and lighted myself back
into the corridor. In a flash I had had a thought as to what the second
guard had wanted in the cabin, and I retraced my way to it along the
deserted corridor, and found the door open and the man's body blocking
it. I stepped over this and threw the light about. I had guessed it was
the _boudoir_. I pushed into the farther room, which had been
Mademoiselle's, and a cry greeted me. I had conjectured rightly. The
second man had been set as guard on other prisoners. Juliette ran to me
quickly.

"Mademoiselle?" said she.

"Is safe," I answered, "but wants your help. Come." I cast the light on
Lane. "Can you walk, Lane?"

"Yes," he said; "I'm fit for anything."

"Ellison?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, follow me. If you'd known it, your prison was open for you. Be
as silent as you can. There's no time to lose."

As I issued from the doorway, I stopped and took the revolver and
cartridge-belt from the dead man, and Ellison followed my example in
respect of the other sentry. We reached the deck without a word, and I
shut off the lantern. I called to Legrand, and he answered.

"Hush!" he said. "There's been some one along here just now. Be
careful."

I told him what had happened, and, as there was no time for more words,
stooped to find Mademoiselle's unconscious form. It was not there!

Perplexed, I communicated my discovery to my companions, and we
searched in the dark for some minutes. But it then became apparent that
she had vanished utterly. I heard Legrand's voice in warning below.

"There's a light coming aft. Quick. We can't wait."

I was fairly distracted, and knew not what to do. It was plain that, if
we lingered there, we should be detected, and it seemed equally plain
that there was no chance of discovering Mademoiselle. Some one who had
passed that way had lighted upon her unconscious body.

"Quick, man," said Legrand. "All will be lost."

I ordered Juliette down the rope, and as she protested, talking of her
mistress, I told her all would be well if she would only descend. Thus
reassured--for she had understood but imperfectly what had happened
through her ignorance of English--she jumped on the rail alertly and
disappeared. Lane followed, and Ellison, despite his wound, was lithe
as a cat. Then I mounted.

Heaven was a vault of darkness, and the sea poured multitudinous small
noises in my ears as it rippled against the side of the _Sea Queen_.
Ther