lls 'em, 'cause they're so fat."

"And so they haven't been looking for me any more?" said the middy, in a
disappointed tone.

"No, sir; not since they telled me to keep on looking for yer. You see,
everybody said as you must ha' gone overboard and been washed out to
sea, same as the captain felt that you'd slipped off the cliff
somewhere, Master Aleck, and been drowned. But I kep' on thinking as
both on yer might ha' been washed into some crivissy place and stuck
there, and that's why I kep' on peeking and peering about, hoping I
might come upon one of you if I didn't find both; and sure enough, here
you are. I don't know what you gents think on it, but I call it a
right-down good morning's work for such a man as me."

"But you did not walk over from Rockabie this morning, my man?" said the
middy.

"Not walk over, sir? Oh, yes, I did."

"You must be very tired?"

"Not me, sir. My legs never get tired; and yet the queerest thing about
it is that they allus feel stiff."

"Don't talk any more, Tom," said Aleck. "I want to get to business.
Now, then, don't you think we might get out now?"

"Well, yes, sir; p'raps we might. It's a good deal lighter, you see,
since I come, but she's far from low water yet, and it'll come much
easier when tide's right down. But can't I have a bit of a look round,
Master Aleck?"

"Of course," was the reply, and the sailor grinned and chuckled as he
ran his eyes over what he looked upon as a regular treasure house for
anyone whose dealings were on the sea with boats.

The cavern was lighter now than the two prisoners had ever seen it, so
that Tom was able to have a good look; and he finished off by trotting
down as near to the mouth of the great place as he could, and then
turning to Aleck.

"There," he said, "I think we might venture out now. You can swim out
now without having to dive. What do you say, Mr Wrighton, sir?"

"I think we ought to go at once."

"Come on, then, gen'lemen. You'll get a bit wet, but there's a long
climb arterwards up the hot rocks in the sunshine, and you'll be 'most
dry 'fore you get home."

"Oh, never mind the water," cried the middy. "My uniform's spoilt. I'm
ready to do anything to get out of here."

"Will you go first, sir?" cried Tom Bodger.

"No, you found the way in," was the reply, "so lead the way out."

"Right, sir. Ready?"

"Then come on."

The man took three or four of his queer steps, to stand for a moment on
the