l report, and every man held his breath to listen. There was a thud
high up on the cliff and then a splash.

"'A few feet short of the top, I should say, gunner. You must put in
more next time, for the shell must go well up over the trees and drop
among them; otherwise it won't catch.'

"The gunner by the light of the lantern measured out half as much powder
again as he had used before, and then fired. This time we heard no sound
till there was a faint splash in the water.

"'The rope's gone, sir,' the gunner said, looking into the tub. 'There
was a little too much this time.'

"'I don't think so,' Mr. Escombe said. 'I think that splash was the end
of the rope touching the water. In that case it will be just right, a
hundred feet up the cliffs, and five hundred feet among the trees. No
fear of the rope coming back to us.'

"It took us a quarter of an hour's search in the dark to find the rope;
but at last we came upon it, and sure enough there was only four or five
fathoms in the water.

"'Now, Jones,' Mr. Earnshaw said, 'it's your turn. Put that light line
over your shoulders, and when you get to the top haul on it till you
get up the rope ladder, and fasten that to a stout trunk and give a low
hail. We will hold the rope as steady as we can below while you mount.'

"'Ay, ay, sir,' said the man, who was an active young chap; 'I will be
up there in a jiffy.'

"We fastened the lower end round one of the thwarts of the boat, and
then he began to climb. It was near five minutes before he got to the
top, for there were some nasty places where the cliff jutted out, and
the rope was hard against it; but presently the shaking ceased, and a
minute later the light line was hauled tight. There was a low cheer in
the boats, and then up went the rope ladder. A minute or two later there
was a hail from the top.

"'All taut, sir.'

"'I will go first,' Mr. Earnshaw said.

"Accordingly up he went, and one by one we followed, each waiting for
the signal that the one before him had got up, till all had gone except
the two told off as boat watch. Then the men of the launch and cutters
followed, and in about two hours they were all at the top, and a lantern
was shown to tell the ship we were there.

"We started at once across the island, Mr. Earnshaw keeping the line by
a pocket compass. It was rough work, though, and at last the lieutenant
said:

"'We make such a noise going through the bushes that we had better wait
till