d hearing nothing but the soft
rippling, and the "drip, drip" of water beyond us; while towards the
mouth came the "lap, lap" of the waves against the sides of the tunnel,
succeeded by a rushing noise, and the rattling of the loose mussels
clustering to the woodwork, now loudly, now gently; while every light
rustle of the seaweed seemed to send a shiver through me.

The noise as of boring had ceased some time, and my friend now drew my
attention to one of the kegs, which he had made a hole through with his
knife; and never before did spirits come so welcome as at that moment.

"Better try and get out now," whispered my companion.

"They must be somewhere handy, though one can't see even their boat,"
said a strange voice, which seemed hollow and echoing along the tunnel,
while the rattling of the shells and lapping of the water grew louder.

All at once I raised my head, as if to feel for the hole down which the
sound of the voice came, when, to my alarm, I struck it heavily against
the top of the tunnel, making it bleed against the shelly surface.

"Wait a bit," said my companion thickly; "they're on the look-out yet;
it's madness to go out." And I then heard a noise which told me that he
was trying to drown consciousness in the liquor to which he had made his
way.

However, it seemed to me madness to stay where we were, to be drowned
like rats in a hole; and taking advantage of the next receding wave, I
gave the boat a start, and she went down towards the mouth of the tunnel
for a little way, when a coming current would have driven her back, only
I clung to the root now very low down, and rather close to which the
boat now floated. Another thrust, and I pushed her some distance down,
but with the next wave that came in, my hand was jammed against the
slimy roof, and, unnerved with horror, I gasped: "Rouse up, Harry! the
mouth's under water!"

Hollowly sounded my voice as the wave sank, and I felt once more free,
and in sheer despair forced the boat lower down the tunnel; but this
time, when the tide came in again, I had to lie right back, the boat
rose so high, and I felt the dripping seaweed hanging from the roof weep
coldly and slimily over my face; when, before the next wave could raise
us, I thrust eagerly at the side, forcing the boat inward again, but in
the fear and darkness, got her across the tunnel, so that head and stern
were wedged, and as the next rush of water came, it smote the boat
heavily, and