say so. He double-locked the door, and hardly realizing the danger he
had escaped, flung himself on the bunk, panting. Over his head he heard
the rapid tramp of feet and the cheery,

Yo hi-oh! and a rumbelow!

of the men at the capstan. He could smell the sea, and through the open
window of the cabin could distinguish the light in the chaplain's house
on the hill. The trampling ceased, the vessel began to move slowly--the
Commandant's boat appeared below him for an instant, making her way
back--the Lady Franklin had set sail. With his eyes fixed on the tiny
light, he strove to think what was best to be done. It was hopeless
to think that he could maintain the imposture which, favoured by the
darkness and confusion, he had hitherto successfully attempted. He was
certain to be detected at Hobart Town, even if he could lie concealed
during his long and tedious voyage. That mattered little, however. He
had saved Sylvia, for North had been left behind. Poor North! As
the thought of pity came to him, the light he looked at was suddenly
extinguished, and Rufus Dawes, compelled thereto as by an irresistible
power, fell upon his knees and prayed for the pardon and happiness of
the man who had redeemed him.

* * * * *

"That's a gun from the shore," said Partridge the mate, "and they're
burning a red light. There's a prisoner escaped. Shall we lie-to?"

"Lie-to!" cried old Blunt, with a tremendous oath. "We'll have suthin'
else to do. Look there!"

The sky to the northward was streaked with a belt of livid green colour,
above which rose a mighty black cloud, whose shape was ever changing.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE CYCLONE.

Blunt, recognising the meteoric heralds of danger, had begun to regret
his obstinacy. He saw that a hurricane was approaching.

Along the south coast of the Australian continent, though the usual
westerly winds and gales of the highest latitudes prevail during the
greater portion of the year, hurricanes are not infrequent. Gales
commence at NW with a low barometer, increasing at W and SW, and
gradually veering to the south. True cyclones occur at New Zealand.
The log of the Adelaide for 29th February, 1870, describes one which
travelled at the rate of ten miles an hour, and had all the veerings,
calm centre, etc., of a true tropical hurricane. Now a cyclone occurring
off the west coast of New Zealand would travel from the New Hebrides,
where