t turned enough."

"It wants the proper key," said Aleck.

"No, I think those knives will do, after all. I saw a sailor put in
irons once for striking his superior officer, and I think that part
wants not only turning like a key in a lock, but turning round and
round, as if you were taking out a screw."

"Oh, I see," cried Aleck, with renewed eagerness, and he turned and
turned till, to his great delight, the anklet fell open like an
unclasped bracelet, and then dropped on to the folded sail-cloth which
formed the prisoner's couch.

"Hooray!" shouted Aleck again.

"Hurrah! Hurrah!" cried the young officer, with a decision in his voice
that brought up their first meeting in the harbour.

"There, it's all right," cried Aleck, as the young officer caught him by
the hands; "nothing like patience and a good try."

"I--I can't thank you enough," said the middy, in a half suffocated
voice.

"Well, who wants thanks, sailor?" cried Aleck. "Don't go on like that.
It's all right. I'm as glad as you are. Now, then--oh, I say, your
being shut up here has pulled you down!"

"Yes, more than I knew, old fellow," said the middy. "There, I'm better
now. You can't tell what an effect it had upon one. There were times
in the night when, after dragging and dragging at that miserable iron, I
grew half wild and ready to gnaw at my leg to get it free. Why, if you
know the way out we can escape now."

"Yes, but let's play fair by Eben Megg. He has gone to try and get the
key to open this thing, and I promised that I would wait till he came
back."

"But he will not come back, I feel sure. He's only a smuggler, and
ready to promise anything."

"Oh, no," said Aleck, "I don't think that. If he is not taken by the
men from the boat he'll come back, I feel sure. So let's wait till the
morning."

"I can't--I tell you I can't," cried the midshipman, half wild with
hysterical excitement. "I must get out now at any cost. I couldn't
bear another night in this place."

"Nonsense," cried Aleck, good-humouredly. "You bore it when you felt
almost hopeless as a prisoner; surely now that you are as good as free
you can manage to bear one more night!"

"No, I cannot and I will not," cried the young officer. "See to that
lanthorn at once, and let's get out of this living tomb."

Aleck lit a fresh candle and secured it in the sconce, watching the
midshipman the while as he sat up rubbing the freshly-freed leg, and
then stood