n.

"You challenged them--warned them well?"

"Again and again, sir. It was not until they were right down here,
after the sergeant had been hurt, that we fired."

The governor, for he it was, shrugged his shoulders and gave his orders.
Then four of the most active of the warders began to descend, lanterns
in hand, each looking like a spark on the face of the black rock.

The task was so perilous that at the end of a few minutes the governor
ordered the men to halt, while ropes were fetched, and in due time these
were brought and secured to the climbers' waists, the ropes being paid
out by the warders on the shelf, the light of the lanterns being now
supplemented by the blue lights held in the sterns of the fast
approaching cutters.

"Ahoy, there, ashore!" was shouted by the officer in one of the boats;
"men escaping?"

"Yes; three," was shouted back. "Row to and fro, and see if you can
make out a man swimming."

"Right! Swimming, indeed! Where's he to swim to?" grumbled the
officer; and at a word then the boats separated, and were rowed slowly
along at a short distance from the shore.

Then came a hall from below, and a man bearing one lantern began to
climb sidewise to where another had become stationary.

"Well?" from the shelf.

"One of 'em, sir."

"Mind. Wait for help and look out for treachery."

"He won't show no treachery," muttered the warder, holding the lantern
over a ghastly face contorted by agony. "Well, mate, I'd give in now."

"Yes," said the man with a groan. "I'm sick as a dog. Hold me. I
shall go into the sea. Get me back. The doctor."

He said no more. His grasp of the rock to which he clung relaxed, and
he began to slide down sidewise till the warder thrust his leg beneath
him and grasped one arm.

"Look sharp!" he said to his companion. "Set the lantern down, and mine
too."

"Can you hold him?"

"Yes; all right. Now untie the rope from round me, and make it fast
under his arms."

"Where's he hurt?" said the second warder.

"Leg, I think. His things are all wet with blood. Look sharp."

The knots were untied, and as the insensible, wounded man was held up,
the rope was made fast under his arms, and at the word, the unfortunate
wretch was carefully hauled up.

But before he was half-way to the shelf there was a second hail from
close down the water side.

"Here's another of 'em, sir."

"Hurt?"

"Yes, sir, or else shamming."

"Wait till another man ge