sounds; 'what say you? Shall we
light the lanthorns, or press on while there is still a glimmering of
day?'

'On, I should say, M. le Capitaine,' the Lieutenant answered. 'Prick
him in the back if he falters. I will warrant,' the brute added with a
chuckle, 'he has a tender place or two.'

The Captain gave the word and we moved forward. It was evident now
that the cliff-path was our destination. It was possible for the eye to
follow the track all the way to it, through rough stones and brushwood;
and though Clon climbed feebly, and with many groans, two minutes saw
us step on to it. It did not prove to be, in fact, the perilous place
it looked at a distance. The ledge, grassy and terrace-like, sloped
slightly downwards and outwards, and in parts was slippery; but it was
as wide as a highway, and the fall to the water did not exceed thirty
feet. Even in such a dim light as now displayed it to us, and by
increasing the depth and unseen dangers of the gorge gave a kind of
impressiveness to our movements, a nervous woman need not have feared to
tread it, I wondered how often Mademoiselle had passed along it with her
milk-pitcher.

'I think that we have him now,' Captain Larolle muttered, twisting his
moustachios, and looking about to make his last dispositions. 'Paul and
Lebrun, see that your man makes no noise. Sergeant, come forward with
your carbine, but do not fire without orders. Now, silence all, and
close up, Lieutenant. Forward!'

We advanced about a hundred paces, keeping the cliff on our left, turned
a shoulder, and saw, a few paces in front of us, a slight hollow, a
black blotch in the grey duskiness of the cliff-side. The prisoner
stopped, and, raising his bound hands, pointed to it.

'There?' the Captain whispered, pressing forward. 'Is it the place?'

Clon nodded. The Captain's voice shook with excitement.

'Paul and Lebrun remain here with the prisoner,' he said, in a low tone.
'Sergeant, come forward with me. Now, are you ready? Forward!'

At the word he and the sergeant passed quickly, one on either side of
Clon and his guards. The path grew narrow here, and the Captain passed
outside. The eyes of all but one were on the black blotch, the hollow in
the cliff-side, expecting we knew not what--a sudden shot or the rush or
a desperate man; and no one saw exactly what happened. But somehow, as
the Captain passed abreast of him, the prisoner thrust back his guards,
and leaping sideways, flung his unbou