ch　should　make　itself　heard　above　the　roar　of　the　wind　and　water；　when　a　strange　appearance　on　the　face　of　the　cliff　made　him　pause。　About　six　feet　from　himglowing　like　molten　gold　in　the　gusty　glow　of　the　burning　treea　round　sleek　stream　of　water　slipped　from　the　rock　into　the　darkness；　like　a　serpent　from　its　hole。　　Above　this　stream　a　dark　spot　defied　the　torchlight；　and　John　Rex　felt　his　heart　leap　with　one　last　desperate　hope　as　he　comprehended　that　close　to　him　was　one　of　those　tortuous　drives　which　the　worm…like　action　of　the　sea　bores　in　such　caverns　as　that　in　which　he　found　himself。　　The　drive；　opened　first　to　the　light　of　the　day　by　the　natural　convulsion　which　had　raised　the　mountain　itself　above　ocean　level；　probably　extended　into　the　bowels　of　the　cliff。　　The　stream　ceased　to　let　itself　out　of　the　crevice；　it　was　then　likely　that　the　rising　column　of　water　did　not　penetrate　far　into　this　wonderful　hiding…place。
  Endowed　with　a　wisdom；　which　in　one　placed　in　less　desperate　position　would　have　been　madness；　John　Rex　shouted　to　his　pursuers。　〃The　rope！　the　rope！〃　The　words；　projected　against　the　sides　of　the　enormous　funnel；　were　pitched　high　above　the　blast；　and；　reduplicated　by　a　thousand　echoes；　reached　the　ears　of　those　above。
  〃He's　alive！〃　cried　McNab；　peering　into　the　abyss。　　〃I　see　him。　　Look！〃
  The　soldier　whipped　the　end　of　the　bullock…hide　lariat　round　the　tree　to　which　he　held；　and　began　to　oscillate　it；　so　that　the　blazing　bush　might　reach　the　ledge　on　which　the　daring　convict　sustained　himself。　The　groan　which　preceded　the　fierce　belching　forth　of　the　torrent　was　cast　up　to　them　from　below。
  〃God　be　gude　to　the　puir　felly！〃　said　the　pious　young　Scotchman；　catching　his　breath。
  A　white　spume　was　visible　at　the　bottom　of　the　gulf；　and　the　groan　changed　into　a　rapidly　increasing　bellow。　　John　Rex；　eyeing　the　blazing　pendulum；　that　with　longer　and　longer　swing　momentarily　neared　him；　looked　up　to　the　black　heaven　for　the　last　time　with　a　muttered　prayer。　The　bushthe　flame　fanned　by　the　motionflung　a　crimson　glow　upon　his　frowning　features　which；　as　he　caught　the　rope；　had　a　sneer　of　triumph　on　them。　　〃Slack　out！　　slack　out！〃　he　cried；　and　then；　drawing　the　burning　bush　towards　him；　attempted　to　stamp　out　the　fire　with　his　feet。
  The　soldier　set　his　body　against　the　tree　trunk；　and　gripped　the　rope　hard；　turning　his　head　away　from　the　fiery　pit　below　him。　　〃Hold　tight；　your　honour；〃　he　muttered　to　McNab。　　〃She's　coming！〃
  The　bellow　changed　into　a　roar；　the　roar　into　a　shriek；　and　with　a　gust　of　wind　and　spray；　the　seething　sea　leapt　up　out　of　the　gulf。　　John　Rex；　unable　to　extinguish　the　flame；　twisted　his　arm　about　the　rope；　and　the　instant　before　the　surface　of　the　rising　water　made　a　momentary　floor　to　the　mouth　of　the　cavern；　he　spurned　the　cliff　desperately　with　his　feet；　and　flung　himself　across　the　chasm。　　He　had　already　clutched　the　rock；　and　thrust　himself　forward；　when　the　tremendous　volume　of　water　struck　him。　McNab　and　the　soldier　felt　the　sudden　pluck　of　the　rope　and　saw　the　light　swing　across　the　abyss。　　Then　the　fury　of　the　waterspout　burst　with　a　triumphant　scream；　the　tension　ceased；　the　light　was　blotted　out；　and　when　the　column　sank；　there　dangled　at　the　end　of　the　lariat　nothing　but　the　drenched　and　blackened　skeleton　of　the　she…oak　bough。　Amid　a　terrific　peal　of　thunder；　the　long　pent…up　rain　descended；　and　a　sudden　ghastly　rending　asunder　of　the　clouds　showed　far　below　them　the　heaving　ocean；　high　above　them　the　jagged　and　glistening　rocks；　and　at　their　feet　the　black　and　murderous　abyss　of　the　Blowholeempty。
  They　pulled　up　the　useless　rope　in　silence；　and　another　dead　tree　lighted　and　lowered　showed　them　nothing。
  〃God　rest　his　puir　soul；〃　said　McNab；　shuddering。　　〃He's　out　o'　our　han's　now。〃
  CHAPTER　XXV。
  THE　FLIGHT。
  Gabbett；　guided　by　the　Crow；　had　determined　to　beach　the　captured　boat　on　the　southern　point　of　Cape　Surville。　　It　will　be　seen　by　those　who　have　followed　the　description　of　the　topography　of　Colonel　Arthur's　Penitentiary；　that　nothing　but　the　desperate　nature　of　the　attempt　could　have　justified　so　desperate　a　measure。　The　perpendicular　cliffs　seemed　to　render　such　an　attempt　certain　destruction；　but　Vetch；　who　had　been　employed　in　building　the　pier　at　the　Neck；　knew　that　on　the　southern　point　of　the　promontory　was　a　strip　of　beach；　upon　which　the　company　might；　by　good　fortune；　land　in　safety。　With　something　of　the　decision　of　his　leader；　Rex；　the　Crow　determined　at　once　that　in　their　desperate　plight　this　was　the　only　measure；　and　setting　his　teeth　as　he　seized　the　oar　that　served　as　a　rudder；　he　put　the　boat's　head　straight　for　the　huge　rock　that　formed　the　northern　horn　of　Pirates'　Bay。
  Save　for　the　faint　phosphorescent　radiance　of　the　foaming　waves；　the　darkness　was　intense；　and　Burgess　for　some　minutes　pulled　almost　at　random　in　pursuit。　　The　same　tremendous　flash　of　lightning　which　had　saved　the　life　of　McNab；　by　causing　Rex　to　miss　his　aim；　showed　to　the　Commandant　the　whale…boat　balanced　on　the　summit　of　an　enormous　wave；　and　apparently　about　to　be　flung　against　the　wall　of　rock　whichmagnified　in　the　flash　seemed　frightfully　near　to　them。　　The　next　instant　Burgess　himself　his　boat　lifted　by　the　swiftly　advancing　billowsaw　a　wild　waste　of　raging　seas　scooped　into　abysmal　troughs；　in　which　the　bulk　of　a　leviathan　might　wallow。　　At　the　bottom　of　one　of　these　valleys　of　water　lay　the　mutineers'　boat；　looking；　with　its　outspread　oars；　like　some　six…legged　insect　floating　in　a　pool　of　ink。　　The　great　cliff；　whose　every　scar　and　crag　was　as　distinct　as　though　its　huge　bulk　was　but　a　yard　distant；　seemed　to　shoot　out　from　its　base　towards　the　struggling　insect；　a　broad；　flat　straw；　that　was　a　strip　of　dry　land。　The　next　instant　the　rushing　water；　carrying　the　six…legged　atom　with　it；　creamed　up　over　this　strip　of　beach；　the　giant　crag；　amid　the　thunder…crash　which　followed　upon　the　lightning；　appeared　to　stoop　down　over　the　ocean；　and　as　it　stooped；　the　billow　rolled　onwards；　the　boat　glided　down　into　the　depths；　and　the　whole　phantasmagoria　was　swallowed　up　in　the　tumultuous　darkness　of　the　tempest。
  Burgesshis　hair　bristling　with　terrorshouted　to　put　the　boat　about；　but　he　might　with　as　much　reason　have　shouted　at　an　avalanche。　The　wind　blew　his　voice　away；　and　emptied　it　violently　into　the　air。　A　snarling　billow　jerked　the　oar　from　his　hand。　　Despite　the　desperate　efforts　of　the　soldiers；　the　boat　was　whirled　up　the　mountain　of　water　like　a　leaf　on　a　water…spout；　and　a　second　flash　of　lightning　showed　them　what　seemed　a　group　of　dolls　struggling　in　the　surf；　and　a　walnut…shell　bottom　upwards　was　driven　by　the　recoil　of　the　waves　towards　them。　For　an　instant　all　thought　that　they　must　share　the　fate　which　had　overtaken　the　unlucky　convicts；　but　Burgess　succeeded　in　trimming　the　boat；　and；　awed　by　the　peril　he　had　so　narrowly　escaped；　gave　the　order　to　return。　As　the　men　set　the　boat's　head　to　the　welcome　line　of　lights　that　marked　the　Neck；　a　black　spot　balanced　upon　a　black　line　was　swept　under　their　stern　and　carried　out　to　sea。　　As　it　passed　them；　this　black　spot　emitted　a　cry；　and　they　knew　that　it　was　one　of　the　shattered　boat's　crew　clinging　to　an　oar。
  〃He　was　the　only　one　of　'em　alive；〃　said　Burgess；　bandaging　his　sprained　wrist　two　hours　afterwards　at　the　Neck；　〃and　he's　food　for　the　fishes　by　this　time！〃
  He　was　mistaken；　however。　　Fate　had　in　reserve　for　the　crew　of　villains　a　less　merciful　death　than　that　of　drowning。　　Aided　by　the　lightning；　and　that　wonderful　〃good　luck〃　which　urges　villainy　to　its　destruction；　Vetch　beached　the　boat；　and　the　party；　bruised　and　bleeding；　reached　the　upper　portion　of　the　shore　in　safety。　　Of　all　this　number　only　Cox　was　lost。　　He　was　pulling　stroke…oar；　and；　being　something　of　a　laggard；　stood　in　the　way　of　the　Crow；　who；　seeing　the　importance　of　haste　in　preserving　his　own　skin；　plucked　the　man　backwards　by　the　collar；　and　passed　over　his　sprawling　body　to　the　shore。　　Cox；　grasping　at　anything　to　save　himself；　clutched　an　oar；　and　the　next　moment　found　himself　borne　out　with　the　overturned　whale…boat　by　the　under…tow。　　He　was　drifted　past　his　only　hope　of　rescuethe　guard…boatwith　a　velocity　that　forbade　all　attempts　at　rescue；　and　almost　before　the　poor　scoundrel　had　time　to　realize　his　condition；　he　was　in　the　best　possible　way　of　escaping　the　hanging　that　his　comrades　had　so　often　humorously　prophesied　for　him。　Being　a　strong　and　vigorous　villain；　however；　he　clung　tenaciously　to　his　oar；　and　even　unbuckling　his　leather　belt；　passed　it　round　the　slip　of　wood　that　was　his　salvation；　girding　himself　to　it　as　firmly　as　he　was　able。　In　this　condition；　plus　a　swoon　from　exhaustion；　he　was　descried　by　the　helmsman　of　the　Pretty　Mary；　a　few　miles　from　Cape　Surville；　at　daylight　next　morning。　　Blunt；　with　a　wild　hope　that　this　waif　and　stray　might　be　the　lover　of　Sarah　Purfoy；　dead；　lowered　a　boat　and　picked　him　up。　Nearly　bisected　by　the　belt；　gorged　with　salt　water；　frozen　with　cold；　and　having　two　ribs　broken；　the　victim　of　Vetch's　murderous　quickness　retained　sufficient　life　to　survive　Blunt's　remedies　for　nearly　two　hours。　During　that　time　he　stated　that　his　name　was　Cox；　that　he　had　e