nd also to still our hearts, if possible, they
are beating so loud. Five minutes passed, Schillie was then going slowly
on, when her rope jumped with a start, so did mine, so I suppose did
all the others, and I was sure I recognised the faintest little scream
from Madame. The light shone out all of a sudden, not ten yards from us;
it was that which made us start so. We noted the two men distinctly,
and, waiting until the light was out again, we then advanced, and
Schillie touching one and I the other, we took hold of some hard horny
hands, and made the signal by shaking the ropes to return.

Back we went, in rather a hurry-scurry I must allow. As everybody got
into the cavern, the others came rushing in quicker and quicker;
Schillie and I alone kept a stately march, holding the hard horny hands,
not a word passing between the delivered and the deliverers; but if
gratitude could be expressed by a grasp, it was done by the hand I held
in mine. I had the lame prisoner, and while the hand trembled in mine
like the hand of a timid woman, I felt his hairy mouth touching it, and
the other hand trying in a gentle but earnest manner to feel the arm and
as much of me as he could. He seemed to shake like an aspen leaf, and
almost choked with suppressed emotion. But we are nearer, Gatty is in,
Jenny, Oscar, the General slipped by me, and unhandsomely got in first.
Now we were all safe. Jenny, Hargrave, and the girls flew for the
torches to do up the entrance again. We silently led the rescued
prisoners to a little cavern, which was somewhat remote from the others.

Madame brought us a torch, and with acknowledged curiosity we proceeded
to examine what were now our prisoners. Two great hairy men. Why did we
start? A deep groan, and an English "God be thanked" burst from the lips
of one as he fell senseless to the ground. The other rushed to the boys
with vehement gesture, and catching both in his arms, uttered a shout
that made the cavern ring again. "Oh, Smart, Smart," said they, "our
dear, dear Tom Smart, is it really you? are you come back for us? are
you alive?"

Could this be real? It was indeed too true. The prisoners about whom we
had been so anxious, the poor fellows we had so intuitively been
interested in, and determined to risk our lives to save, were no other
than our dear lamented captain and equally beloved Smart. Surely we
could now tell why, from the first, we had been so anxious about them.
There yet remained a tr