But I soon found that I couldn't keep awake; so I got up
and dressed in my wet clothes, and went to the door. I found it was
fastened on the outside. I soon opened the window and got out, but
before I did that I rolled up some clothes and put 'em in the bed, and
made a sort of likeness of a man there. The poor fellow in bed was
lying very still now, and I felt pretty sure that he would not live
till morning. The candle was a fresh one when they had first lighted
it, and I left it burning.

When I had got out I shut the window, and went away fifty yards or so,
where I could hear them come back. Presently I heard some footsteps
coming from the opposite direction. Then I heard a voice I knew say,
"There is the fire; we shall soon know whether the poor lad has got
ashore."

"Here am I, Jabez," I said. "Hush!" as he and the other were going to
break into a shout of welcome, "hush! Some wreckers are coming up
directly to cut my throat and that of another chap in that cottage."

In a word or two I told them all about it; and they agreed to wait
with me and see the end of it. Jabez had brought the _Jane_ up under
the lee of the island, and, leaving two of the men on board, had come
on shore in the cobble with the other to look for me, but with very
faint hopes of finding me.

"You had best get hold of something to fight with, if you mean to take
these fellows, Jabez."

"A good lump of rock is as good a weapon as another," Jabez said.

Our plan was soon arranged, and half an hour later we heard footsteps
coming up from the shore again. Two men passed us, went into the
cottage, and shut the door. Jabez and I made round to the window,
where we could see in, and John Redpath stood at the door. He was to
open it and rush in when he heard us shout. We stood a little back,
but we could see well into the room. Presently we saw the door open
very quietly, little by little. A hand came through and moved the
chairs, and then it opened wide. Then the two men entered. One, a big
fellow, had a knife in his hand, and drew towards the bed, where, as
it seemed, I was sleeping, with my head covered up by the clothes. The
other had no knife in his hand, and came towards the other bed.

"Get ready, lad," Jabez said to me.

The big fellow raised his knife and plunged it down into the figure,
throwing his weight onto it at the same moment, while the smaller man
snatched the pillow from under the other's head and clapped it over
his face,