so clearly that, unless he had found some
deep, dark, cavernous niche, there was but little chance for an escaping
convict to cling anywhere there unseen.

By the time the second man was taken to the shelf a fresh arrival was
upon the scene in the person of the jail surgeon, who, fresh from
attending sergeant and warder, made a rapid examination of the first
prisoner, and then began to open a case by the light of one of the
lanterns.

"Dangerous?" said the governor sharply.

"No. Bullet clean through one thigh and the other regularly ploughed.
Send for stretchers."

He knelt down as he spoke, and with the convict groaning piteously he
rapidly plugged one of his wounds, and bandaged both.

"Now the other," he said; and he turned to the second patient, who was
lying, talking quickly, a few yards away.

Just then the governor hailed the men below.

"You must find him, my lads," he cried. "Who heard him plunge in?"

"I did, sir," came back.

"Well, then, he is ashore again somewhere, holding on by the rocks; no
man would swim out to sea with such a tide on. He would be carried
right away. Keep a good lookout, and if he's wise he will surrender.
Well, doctor, this one much hurt?"

"Yes, horribly. Head crushed."

"Not by a bullet?"

"No: fall. How long are those stretchers going to be?"

"Some distance for the men to go, doctor," said the governor quickly.
"You forget they were being used for the sergeant and the man."

"Poor fellows! yes," said the doctor, rapidly continuing his
manipulations; "there, that is all I can do."

He rose from his knee and stood looking out at the boats below turning
the water into silvery blue as port fire after port fire was burned,
while others lit up the man-of-war from which the boats had come.

"I'm glad it was not a bullet," said the governor quietly, as his men
below searched the rocks and shouted--now to their companions who paid
out the rope, now answered hails from the boats.

"Yes; one man's enough to shoot a night," said the surgeon grimly.

"Beg pardon, sir," said a warder, coming up, lantern in hand, and
saluting.

"Yes; what is it?"

"I don't think you'll find the other poor chap, sir."

"Why?"

"Blades, who was one of the men here first, and tired, says there was a
shriek just before they heard the splash in the water."

"Tut--tut--tut!" ejaculated the governor. "Poor wretch! Where is
Blades?"

"Here, sir," said a man who was holding one of