he wounds of three of the other men, who
had suffered more or less severely.

CHAPTER XIII.

STARTLING NEWS.

"What do you think is the best thing to be done now doctor?" Ralph
asked.

"I don't know," he replied. "I don't see how on earth we are going to
get them over these rocks and up to the top. A slip or a fall would
cost either of your friends their limbs, and that poor fellow his
life. I don't see how it is to be managed. It's hard work for a man to
climb those rocks, and how a litter is to be carried I can't see. If
it were anywhere else I should say build a hut for them; but it would
be a tremendous business getting the materials down, and I don't think
it could possibly be managed by night."

"I am sure it couldn't," Ralph said, shaking his head. "I think,
though, if we got two long poles and slung a piece of canvas like a
hammock between them we may possibly get them down to the shore. You
see we have plenty of strength to get them over rough places."

"We could manage that easy enough," Lieutenant Adcock, who had some
time before joined the party, said. "There are some sixteen-feet oars
in the boat and some sails. We could easily rig up the hammock. I
suppose you mean to take them off in the boat, Mr. Conway?"

"Yes; that's what I meant," Ralph said. "Then you can land them in
your cove, and they might stop in the village till they are fit to be
moved."

"That would be an excellent plan," the doctor said. "Let us set about
it at once."

In half an hour the sailors brought up the hammock.

"I will go first," Captain O'Connor said, "as I am the heaviest. You
will see how you manage to get me down. If it's done pretty easily you
can bring down the two others; if not, they had better stop in the
cave for to-night, and we will get a hut for them to-morrow. By the
way, Conway, you had better get the dead carried out and taken down to
the seashore. Have them laid down out of reach of the tide. Some of
them belong about here, and their friends will wish to give them a
decent burial. Our own dead had better be put in the boat, if Mr.
Adcock will allow it, and taken to the village with us. Then they can
be carried over to Ballyporrit for burial. A corporal with four men
must be left for to-night in charge of the caves."

"I shall want my men to row the boat," Lieutenant Adcock said. "In the
morning I will send over a warrant officer and four men to take charge
of the cave till I can take its cont