his hesitation, he
once more stepped forward nearer--nearer, till his torch, elevated as it
was, shed its light upon us. But he did not yet distinguish us from the
rock around, and the next two steps bore him past, when his eye fell
upon the flash of light from my gun-barrel, and, with an ejaculation in
Spanish, he turned upon me, and we were face to face. But ere his heart
could have made many pulsations Tom's coat was over his head, the torch
fell to the ground, to lie burning feebly upon the soil, there was a
fierce struggle, and the swaying to and fro of wrestlers, the torch was
trampled out, and then in the darkness there was the sound of a heavy
fall, and, panting with exertion, Tom exclaimed:

"I'm sitting on his head, Mas'r Harry, and he can't bite now. Just you
tie his legs together with your handkercher."

I had thrown the gun aside, and, in spite of a few frantic plunges,
succeeded in firmly binding the ankles of the prostrate man together.

"Now, Mas'r Harry," whispered Tom, "take hold of one arm--hold it
tight--and we'll turn him over on his face, and tie his hands behind his
back. Hold tight, for he's a slippery chap, and he'll make another
fight for it. He got away from me once, but I had him again directly.
Now, then, over with him! Here, ask your uncle to hold his legs down."

There was a heave, a struggle, and then a half-suffocated voice
exclaimed:

"Tom! Harry! are you both mad?"

"Oh, Tom!" I ejaculated; "what have you done?"

"Ketched the wrong bird, Mas'r Harry, and no mistake," muttered Tom, as
he hastily set my uncle at liberty. "It was that darkness as done it.
He slipped away like an eel just as the light went out."

"Never mind," gasped my uncle. "But what muscles you boys have!"

"He did not go towards the entrance," I whispered excitedly, "and I have
his gun. If we are careful we shall have him yet."

Then I could not help shuddering as I rejoiced over the merciful policy
we had determined upon; for I thought how easily we might have caused
the death of one of our own party.

"It was an unlucky mistake, lads," whispered my uncle; "but we must have
him, living or dead."

The rest of the way to where we had left the companions of our trial was
so narrow that by pressing cautiously forward I knew that we must
encounter Garcia sooner or later.

As we reached the part where the track ran along a ledge we divided, Tom
continuing to walk along the ledge to where it termin