ed, as he now,
struggling into his inexpressibles, felt his way into the outer cave.

"What, ho, Mac!" cried he, as he went, "stir those bobbins of thine,
which thou art pleased to call legs; strike a light, and be d---d to
you!"

"A light for you," said Tomlinson, profanely, as he reluctantly left his
couch, "will indeed be a 'light to lighten the Gentiles!'"

"Why, Mac, Mac!" shouted Ned, "why don't you answer? faith, I think the
Scot's dead!"

"Seize your men!--Yield, sirs!" cried a stern, sudden voice from the
gloom; and at that instant two dark lanterns were turned, and their
light streamed full upon the astounded forms of Tomlinson and his gaunt
comrade! In the dark shade of the background four or five forms were
also indistinctly visible; and the ray of the lanterns glimmered on
the blades of cutlasses and the barrels of weapons still less easily
resisted.

Tomlinson was the first to recover his self-possession. The light
just gleamed upon the first step of the stairs leading to the stables,
leaving the rest in shadow. He made one stride to the place beside the
cart, where, we have said, lay some of the robbers' weapons; he had
been anticipated,--the weapons were gone. The next moment Tomlinson had
sprung up the steps.

"Lovett! Lovett! Lovett!" shouted he.

The captain, who had followed his comrades into the cavern, was already
in the grasp of two men. From few ordinary mortals, however, could any
two be selected as fearful odds against such a man as Clifford,--a man
in whom a much larger share of sinews and muscle than is usually the
lot even of the strong had been hardened, by perpetual exercise, into
a consistency and iron firmness which linked power and activity into a
union scarcely less remarkable than that immortalized in the glorious
beauty of the sculptured gladiator. His right hand is upon the throat of
one assailant; his left locks, as in a vice, the wrist of the other; you
have scarcely time to breathe! The former is on the ground, the pistol
of the latter is wrenched from his grip, Clifford is on the step;
a ball--another--whizzes by him; he is by the side of the faithful
Augustus!

"Open the secret door!" whispered Clifford to his friend; "I will draw
up the steps alone."

Scarcely had he spoken, before the steps were already, but slowly,
ascending beneath the desperate strength of the robber. Meanwhile Ned
was struggling, as he best might, with two sturdy officers, who appeared
loath