nutes we shall either have won our
freedom or relapsed into slavery for ever."

Not another word was now said by either of them until that awful climb
was over and they had, after countless hair-breadth escapes, safely
reached the top of the cliff. When at last they once more stood on
comparatively level ground, they felt as though their limbs had no
strength to carry them another yard upon their way, so exhausting had
been the superhuman efforts which they had put forth. But there was no
pause--no rest for them yet; onward they must still press at their
topmost speed, or all that they had hitherto endured would be in vain.
The short journey from the top of the precipice to the summit of the
rising ground was a cruel one; the slope, gentle though it was, telling
upon them terribly as they staggered forward over the long slippery
grass, panting, breathless, staggering and stumbling at every step, and
dreading every moment to hear the triumphant shout announcing the
arrival of their pursuers upon the scene.

But, so far, save that of their own laboured breathing, not a sound of
any kind broke in upon the deep stillness of the evening hour; and, when
at last they surmounted the crest of the hill, the scene below was one
of peaceful solitude.

"Now one more--one _supreme_ effort, Tom, and in five minutes we shall
be free," gasped George. "Muster all your courage and resolution, and
let us make a run for it. Can you do it?"

"Ay, ay, sir, I'll try," was the scarcely articulate reply, and without
more ado they set off down the slope at a run.

A run? Well, yes, it was a run, if it was anything at all; but such a
run! Their limbs felt like lead, and Walford's weight seemed to them
enough to drag them down to the very centre of the earth. Every
individual blade of grass seemed to be invested with the toughness of a
hempen cable, and to trail directly across their path for the express
purpose of retarding their progress and tripping them up. Their breath
was gone; their mouths were open and gasping; their hearts were beating
like sledge-hammers against their ribs, and pumping the blood in a great
red-hot tide up into their heads; their brains reeled; their sight began
to fail them; and what little of the scene was still perceptible to
their disordered vision was apparently whirling in a mad dance up and
down, round and round them, until they could not tell whether they were
going right or wrong.

Yet on they still