I had reached a part where I
could hear, it would be wise to go back and accept my fate of a
prisoner, and see what Jarette would do, when all at once the tapping,
which had been unheard for some time, recommenced, and apparently so
close, that my cowardly dread passed off, and I determined to go on.

"All right now, aren't you, sir?" whispered Barney.

"Yes."

"Told you so. Only be careful, sir, I can't help you now."

I felt about a little, and then crawled forward in no narrow
perpendicular crevice, but flat on my chest, between the cargo and the
deck, and in less than a minute my hand touched an upright piece? of
roughly-sawn wood. Then another and another, and passing my hand
between them I felt board, while the next instant there was a dull jar
as if some one on the other side struck the board I touched, and gave
three taps. I answered directly with my knuckles, and a strange feeling
of emotion made my heart palpitate as a voice came through the narrow
opening between the boards.

"Is any one there?"

I placed my mouth as close to the crevice as I could in my constrained
position, and chancing being heard, I cried--

"Yes."

"Who is it?" came back.

"Dale; and the three men are with me."

"Can you force off one of these boards?"

"No. Who is it?" I said.

I was almost sure when I asked the question, and my ideas were
confirmed. It was Mr Brymer speaking, and he told me that Mr Preddle,
Mr Frewen, and the captain were with him.

That was good news, but he had not told me all.

"Where is Miss Denning?" I asked.

"With her brother in their cabin still, I think. Now look here, Dale,
we will try and pull out one of these boards, and you and the others
must join us here."

I must have made his heart sink in despair the next minute, when I told
him that it was impossible, and said how I had had to struggle to get to
him.

"Then either you or we must get out, and the party that gets on deck
must help the other. Wait a minute."

I waited, and heard the sound of boring, and a few minutes later, as I
kept a hand upon the board, I felt the point of a knife or gimlet
working its way through.

After it was withdrawn conversation became more easy, and I had a few
words with Mr Frewen and Mr Preddle, all of which were cheering,
though as far as escape was concerned it did no good. But I learned how
that they had been literally thrown down there, as they supposed, for
they had come-to very much