l."

The boatswain obeyed, and the one impulse seemed to send them all into a
greater darkness, while the odour of tobacco pervaded the air quite
strongly and a little point of light shone above their heads.

"Father!" whispered Mark, for he could not control himself, and the word
slipped from his tongue.

"Mark? Hush!" came back to set all doubts at rest.

"Here, hook on, Small, keep the boat as she is," said Mr Gregory; and
this was done in silence; but it was some few minutes before they were
in their former position, all being done with the most extreme caution.

"Have you a rope, Strong?" said Gregory in a low voice.

There was no reply, but the glowing end of the cigar disappeared from
where it shone some fifteen feet above their heads, and at the end of a
few minutes something was lowered down, which proved to be so many
sheets tightly rolled up and knotted together.

The first-mate seized the extemporised cord and drew hard upon it to see
if it would bear. It proved to be made quite fast, so he turned to
Mark:

"Now, young un," he said, "you can climb that rope. Go up and hear from
your father how matters stand."

Mark said nothing, but seized the soft cord, and, with the mate's help,
was soon half-way up, but the rest, as he quitted the support of the
mate's shoulders, was more difficult. Still, the knots helped him, the
distance was short, and, after a little exertion, he felt a couple of
strong hands passed under his arms, when, after a bit of scuffling and
plenty of hoist, he felt himself half-lifted in at the cabin-window, and
the next instant clasped in a pair of softly-clinging arms.

"My poor boy!" whispered Mrs Strong.

"Hist! don't speak! Don't make a sound!" said the captain sternly.
"There may be a sentry at the door."

"But, father, are you hurt?"

"A little, my boy; not much," said the captain.

"Terribly, Mark," whispered Mrs Strong; and the lad felt a shudder run
through him.

"No, no! Don't alarm the boy," said the captain; and just then Mark
felt a little hand steal into his, and heard a faint sob, while another
hand was laid upon his shoulder.

"Miss O'Halloran! Mary!" whispered Mark.

"Yes: the major?"

"Papa?"

Two voices whispered those questions at the same moment.

"He's quite right, and down there in the boat," said Mark.

"Now, my boy, quick!" said the captain, catching Mark by the shoulder;
"who's below in the boat?"

"All of them, father."

"Unhur