d so
much to interest them that they stayed too long and were nearly shut in
once more, for the tide rose fast, and the men had to lie down in the
boat and work her out with their hands, and then a wave came in and
lifted her, jamming the gunwale against the slimy rock and weeds,
threatening a more terrible imprisonment still; but just as matters were
very serious and the lives of the party in imminent danger, the water
sank a few inches and enabled the men to thrust the boat on into
daylight.

That was the last time a boat entered that cave, for during a terrific
storm in the ensuing winter the waves must have loosened and torn up
some of the supporting stones of the archway, letting down hundreds of
tons of rock in a land slide, so that where the cave had lain like a
secret, the waves played regularly at high water, working more and more
at every tide to lay bare the gloomy recesses to the light of day.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aleck saw no more of Willie Wrighton, midshipman, for two years, and
then he came on a visit to the Den.

The next morning the two young men went for a stroll along the cliffs to
have a look at the rocky chaos which had once formed the cave.

As they came near they caught sight of a solitary figure down towards
where the archway submerged had lain, and Aleck made put that it was a
big, well-built man-o'-war's man.

"Is that one of your fellows, sailor?" said Aleck, with the appellation
he had used when they were prisoners together.

"Yes, he came over with me from Rockabie. Capital fellow he is too.
Don't you know him again?"

"No," said Aleck, shading his eyes. "Yes, I do. How he is changed!
Why, Eben Megg, I hardly knew you again without your beard."

"Glad to see you, Master Aleck," said the man, warmly. "Mr Wrighton
here was good enough to bring me along with him to see the old place.
I'm coming to make a long stay, sir, as soon as we're paid off, and--
and--there, I arn't good at talking--about them things," continued the
man, huskily, "but God bless you and the captain, sir, for all you've
done for my poor wife and bairns."

"Oh, nonsense! Don't talk about it, Eben," said Aleck, huskily; "but, I
say, young man, you nearly made an end of us by not coming back after
you'd shut us in. What did you do it for--to kill us?"

"To kill you both, sir? Not me! I on'y wanted to make sure of you for
an hour or two till I'd been ho