t to be seen," suggested Simek.

Feeling the propriety of this suggestion, the whole party went into a
cave which they found close at hand and sat down to wait as patiently as
might be. Rooney was the last to enter. Before doing so he crept on
hands and knees to the extreme edge of the cliff and looked down.
Nothing was visible, however; only a black, unfathomable abyss. But he
could hear the sullen roar of ocean as the waves rushed in and out of
the rocky caverns far below. Drawing back with a shudder, a feeling of
mingled horror, rage, and tender pity oppressed him as he thought of
Kannoa's poor old bones being shattered on the rocks, or swallowed by
the waves at the foot of the cliff, while behind and through Kannoa
there rose up the vision of that grandmother in the old country, whose
image seemed to have acquired a fixed habit of beckoning him to come
home, with a remonstrative shake of the head and a kindly smile.

They had not long to wait. They had been seated about ten minutes in
the cavern when the man who had been left outside to watch came gliding
in on tip-toe, stepping high, and with a blazing look about the eyes.

"They come," he said in a hoarse whisper.

"_Who_ come, you walrus?" whispered Okiok.

"The man with the witch."

On hearing this, Rooney, Okiok, and Simek went to the entrance of the
cave, followed by the rest, who, however, were instructed to keep under
cover till required, if no more than three or four men should arrive.

A few seconds later, and the robber chief appeared on the flat space in
front of them. He was closely followed by a squat comrade and the
fierce man with the bundle on his back. As they passed the cave, the
bundle gave a pitiful wail.

This was enough. With a silent rush, like three bull-dogs, our heroes
shot forth. Rooney, having forgotten his weapon, used his fist instead,
planted his knuckles on the bridge of the leader's nose, and ruined it,
as a bridge, for evermore. The robber went down, turned a complete
back-somersault, regained his feet, and fled. Okiok seized the fierce
man by the throat almost before he was aware of the attack, causing him
to drop his bundle which Rooney was just in time to catch and carry into
the cave. There he set it down tenderly, cut the fastenings of the
skin, and freed the poor old woman's head.

It was a beautiful sight to see the livid hue and gaze of horror change
into a flush of loving benignity when Kannoa observed