ood.

"All safe, now, Mildred!" cried the young man, in a voice of exultation
the moment his hand caught the two ends of the line, which he
immediately passed around his body, beneath the arms, as a precaution
against accidents. "All safe, now, dearest girl; have no further concern
about me."

Mildred drew back, for worlds could not have tempted her to witness the
desperate effort that she knew must follow. By this time, Sir Wycherly,
who had been an interested witness of all that passed, found his voice,
and assumed the office of director.

"Stop, my young namesake," he eagerly cried, when he found that the
sailor was about to make an effort to drag his own body up the cliff;
"stop; that will never do; let Dutton and me do that much for you, at
least. We have seen all that has passed, and are now able to do
something."

"No--no, Sir Wycherly--on no account touch the halyards. By hauling them
over the top of the rocks you will probably cut them, or part them, and
then I'm lost, without hope!"

"Oh! Sir Wycherly," said Mildred, earnestly, clasping her hands
together, as if to enforce the request with prayer; "do not--do not
touch the line."

"We had better let the lad manage the matter in his own way," put in
Dutton; "he is active, resolute, and a seaman, and will do better for
himself than I fear we can do for him. He has got a turn round his body,
and is tolerably safe against any slip, or mishap."

As the words were uttered, the whole three drew back a short distance
and watched the result, in intense anxiety. Dutton, however, so far
recollected himself, as to take an end of the old halyards, which were
kept in a chest at the foot of the staff, and to make, an attempt to
stopper together the two parts of the little rope on which the youth
depended, for should one of the parts of it break, without this
precaution, there was nothing to prevent the halyards from running round
the staff, and destroying the hold. The size of the halyards rendered
this expedient very difficult of attainment, but enough was done to give
the arrangement a little more of the air of security. All this time
young Wychecombe was making his own preparations on the ledge, and quite
out of view; but the tension on the halyards soon announced that his
weight was now pendent from them. Mildred's heart seemed ready to leap
from her mouth, as she noted each jerk on the lines; and her father
watched every new pull, as if he expected the next mom