ay on the ledge, grasping the tackle. The remaining man
in the party held to his position at the other end of the tackle, the
rope wrapped about his body.

"Ah--It is here we must commence our looking," exclaimed Ichi. "It is
here we must test the statements of the young female and your honorable
self, Mr. Blake. You are--ah--of a sureness as to direction? My
worthy Moto is of a readiness."

Martin could feel the worthy Moto's fingers resting lightly upon his
shoulder. But he also felt against his leg, the hard outline of the
revolver in Ichi's coat pocket--so closely were they crowded together
in the cave entrance.

"The code says 'aloft,'" answered Martin. "Look for a hole in the roof
leading up into a dry cave."

Ichi chattered an order, and the sailor picked up the lantern and held
it over his head. Very cautiously, so Moto would not feel and
interpret the movement, Martin began to squeeze his hand free from the
handcuff.

The lantern revealed the overhead rock for quite an area. It revealed
the very spot they sought. Just to the left of the entrance and on
level with Martin's chin a shelf of rock jutted out a couple of feet
from the wall. Above this shelf was an opening, a crack in the ceiling
wide enough to admit a man's body.

Ichi pointed and exclaimed excitedly. The lantern light illumined his
upturned face and Martin saw it contorted with triumphant greed. The
others also exclaimed their joy. Half glancing over his shoulder,
Martin saw that Moto's attention was fixed on the ceiling. It was the
careless moment Martin awaited, his moment--with a convulsive jerk he
freed his hands.

But before he could straighten his arms, Ichi turned and grinned up
into his face.

"Ah--so, it was with truthfulness you spoke. But we must prove, yes?"
He gave an order to the sailor, and the latter, replacing the lantern
on the floor, boosted himself to the ledge and disappeared through the
hole. Martin backed against the wall to conceal the fact that his
hands were free, that one-half of his handcuffs were empty. He waited
stolidly--Ichi and Moto were both watching his face, gloating upon him.

In a moment the expected hail came from overhead. The sailor returned
from his exploration, stuck his head through the opening, and shouted a
sentence to Ichi, a triumphant, exultant shout. Martin's knees bent
slightly and his body tensed for the leap. And Ichi, leering up at
him, said, "And now--we have no n