uts of their pursuers told them that the latter had rounded the bend,
and that they were seen.

In a few seconds the sounds ceased at the foot of the cliff, and in
another instant the voice of the head overseer was heard shouting to
them--

"Hola there! Giorgio--you miscreant--come down, or I will fire!"

"Keep steady, Tom," gasped George. "Let them fire; the chances are ten
to one that they will miss us. Do you feel nervous, lad?"

"Not I," answered Tom; "never felt steadier in my life, cap'n. This
rope _is_ cutting into my shoulders awful bad, though."

"So it is into mine," returned George; "but we must grin and bear it
now, until we get to the top. And--whatever you do--look up, boy; if
you look down, you'll grow dizzy, and, likely enough, slip; then down we
must all inevitably go."

"Are you coming down, you rascals?" shouted the overseer.

"It don't look much like it, I reckon, senhor," chuckled Tom to himself,
hoisting himself over the edge of a good broad ledge of rock as he
spoke, a ledge some ten feet in width.

"Now!" exclaimed Leicester, as he helped the lad up, "we'll rest here a
minute or two, and recover our breath. They may blaze away at us as
long as they like now; we're as safe from their bullets as if they were
a dozen miles away."

The overseer and his companions, however, seemed to think differently,
for the fugitives had scarcely settled themselves comfortably, when a
regular fusillade was opened upon them; but, as George and Tom were
completely sheltered by the projecting ledge, none of the shot came near
them.

They were now about half-way up the cliff, and from this position an
excellent view presented itself for some distance up the ravine which
they had just left; but both George and Tom, now that they were sitting
quietly down, and had leisure to think about it, felt the sense of empty
space immediately before them, and of the sheer precipice which they
knew lay beyond that narrow ledge, to be exceedingly trying to the
nerves.

Presently the clatter of horses' hoofs came ringing upward to them from
the bottom of the ravine, and, peering cautiously over the edge of the
rock, George saw that the party of man-hunters, accompanied by four
bloodhounds, had started off at a gallop on their way back to the
entrance of the _cul-de-sac_. He at once guessed that their intention
was to ride round over the hills, and endeavour to pick up the trail
again at the top of the cliff.

Th