eir exertions; but far from
feeling beaten they were more eager than ever to come to close quarters
with their antagonists, for, in addition to the fighting spirit roused
within them, they were inflamed with the idea of the large stores of
smuggled goods that they would capture: velvets and laces and silks in
endless quantities, with kegs of brandy besides. That they had hit
accidentally upon the party who had seized Mr Leigh they had not a
doubt, and so they fought bravely on till they reached a narrower pass
amongst the rocks than any they had yet gone through. So narrow was it
that they could only approach in single file, and, hemmed in as they
were with the rocks to right and left, the attack now resolved itself
into a combat of two--to wit, Billy Waters and a great broad-shouldered
fellow who disputed his way. The men who backed up the big smuggler
were apparently close behind him; but it was now too dark to see, and,
to make matters worse for the gunner, there was no room for him to swing
his cutlass; all he could do was to make clumsy stabs with the point, or
try to guard himself from the savage thrusts made at him with the
capstan bar or club by the smuggler.

This went on for some minutes without advantage on either side, till,
growing tired, Billy Waters drew back for a moment. "Now, my lads," he
whispered, "I'm going to roosh him. Keep close up, Tom Tully, and nail
him if I go down."

Tom Tully growled out his assent to the order given to him, and the next
moment the gunner made a dash forward into the darkness, striking
sharply downwards with his cutlass, so sharply that the sparks flew from
the rock, where his weapon struck, while on recovering himself for a
second blow he found that it, too, struck the rock, and Billy Waters
uttered a yell as he started back, overcome with superstitious horror on
finding himself at the end of the narrow rift, and quite alone.

"What's the matter, matey?" growled Tom Tully; "are you hurt?"

"No. Go and try yourself," said the gunner, who was for the moment
quite unnerved.

Tom Tully squeezed by, and, making a dash forward, he too struck at the
rock, and made the sparks fly, after which he poked about with the point
of his cutlass, which clinked and jingled against the stones.

"Why, they ar'n't here!" he cried. "Look out!"

Every one did look out, but in vain. They were in a very narrow passage
between two perpendicular pieces of rock, and they had driven the