out
that place?"

"What about it, sir?"

"The getting up. Of course it was easy enough to slide down, but how
about getting up?"

"Didn't I tell you? No, of course, I didn't. Look here, sir; it's all
smooth in the middle, but if you keep close up to the left you'll find
nicks cut in the stone just big enough for your toes, and as close
together as steps. You'll find it easy enough."

"I understand," said Aleck, and the next minute they were listening to
the faintly-echoing steps, for the moment the man stepped out of the
faint yellow glow made by the lanthorn he plunged into intense black
darkness. But from what he had so far gleaned of the configuration of
the place the lad was pretty well able to trace the smuggler by his
footsteps, till all at once there was a faint rustling, and then the
gloom around was made more impressive by the silence which endured for a
couple of minutes or so, to be succeeded by a faint, peculiar, echoing,
scraping sound.

"What's that?" asked the midshipman, excitedly.

Aleck explained that it was evidently the noise made by the scraping of
the smuggler's boots against the stone, as he ascended the zigzag crack
to the surface.

This lasted for about a minute, to be succeeded by a peculiar harsh
noise as of stone being drawn upon stone, after which there was another
peculiar sound, also in some way connected with stone jarring against
stone; but Aleck could give no explanation to his companion as to what
that might be, feeling puzzled himself. Another stone seemed to be
moved then, and it struck the listener that it might be somehow
connected with the more level of the zigzag passages, though why he
should have thought that he could not have explained.

Probably not more than three minutes were taken up altogether before the
last faint sound had died completely away, and then Aleck found himself
called upon to explain the configuration of the natural staircase by
which ascent could be made and exit found. For it never occurred to the
lad that he was in any way breaking the confidence placed in him in
making the prisoner as familiar with the peculiarities of the cavern as
he was himself. The midshipman, his companion in the strange adventure,
had asked him about the shape and position of his prison, and he had
explained what he knew. That was all.

The account took some time, for the prisoner's interest seemed to
increase with what he learned, and his questions succeeded o