h the glittering sheen destroyed the
transparent effects of the water here, they guessed what gliding shapes
were surely upon their track, coldly awaiting disaster.

Sitting in the boat they could not see the hospital; not a light was
visible in any prison building; and they had the feeling that in any one
of a dozen great masses of shadow armed surveillants might be hiding, to
spring out upon Maxime Dalahaide as he crept toward his friends and
far-off safety. There was no sound except the crisp rustle of the water
as the launch cut through it; but as they entered the lagoon, where among
tall reeds the image of the moon lay unbroken like a fallen silver cup,
a whispering ran through the rushes, as if to pass the news of their
approach from ear to ear.

Suddenly a tall figure rose up on a slight eminence and waved its arms,
then disappeared again so quickly that it might almost have been a
fantastic shadow; but quickly as it had come and gone, Roger and George
knew that their hope had not been in vain. Convict 1280 had completed the
first stage of his journey. He had seen them coming to the rescue, and he
had given them the secret of his hiding-place.

The two men were alone in the launch. Now, without a word, Roger Broom
headed it for the point where the figure had appeared. There was a
strange confusion of emotions in his brain, which still left it clear to
act. Under his habitual air of lazy indifference he hid strong feelings,
and at this moment they worked within him like fermenting wine. In this
adventure he was playing for great stakes. Twice in the last year had
Virginia refused him; her love and her beautiful self were all that Roger
craved for in the world, but he had meant never to ask for them again,
when this mad scheme of rescue had been conceived. He had opposed it as
foolish and impossible; then Virginia had hinted that, if he would join
her in it, giving help and advice, she would refuse him nothing. After
that day he had thrown himself into the adventure heart and soul, saying
little, but doing all that man could do. Though his few words had
sometimes discouraged Virginia's ardent hopes, he had doggedly meant to
succeed if he had to die in the supreme effort. He had put his whole soul
into the work, with no other thought until to-day. Then--he had seen what
George Trent had seen; a certain look in Virginia's eyes as they pleaded
with Maxime Dalahaide to free himself. Her lips had said: "Do this for
yo