a siesta or a genuine snooze."

"Have both," said Aleck, laughing, "and I'll do the same."

"And it doesn't matter, does it, for night and day seem to be about the
same? Put out that candle, and mind where the tinder-box is."

"Here, you see where it lies," was the reply, and then there was
silence, both lying thinking deeply before once more dropping fast
asleep, many hours having been taken up by the hard toil and suffering
they had gone through.

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.

The next morning, as it seemed from the beautiful limpid appearance of
dawn that rose from the surface of the waters, to become diffused in the
soft gloom overhead, the lads lit a candle and set off manfully to try
as to the possibility of making their way out through the zigzag
passage, Aleck trying first and dragging and pushing at the stones which
blocked his way, till, utterly exhausted and dripping with perspiration,
he made way for his comrade to have a try.

The latter toiled hard in turn, and did not desist till he found that
his fingers were bleeding and growing painful.

"It's of no good," he said, gloomily; "that scoundrel has done his work
too well. Let's get down to where we can breathe. I say, though," he
added, cheerily, "I've learned one thing."

"What?" asked Aleck.

"That I was never cut out for a chimney-sweep. This is bad enough; I
don't know what it would be if there was the soot."

They slid down, and as soon as they were back in the comparatively
cheerful cavern, where they could breathe freely, Aleck proposed that
they should look out amongst the sails and ships' stores for a suitable
rope for their purpose.

There was coil upon coil of rope, but for the most part they were too
thick, and it seemed as if they would be reduced to venturing upon their
dive untrammelled, when, raising the lanthorn for another glance round,
Aleck caught sight of the very piece he required, hanging from a wooden
peg driven in between two blocks of stone.

"Looks old and worn," said the middy, passing the frayed line through
his fingers. "Let's try it."

The means adopted was to tie one end round a projection of the rocky
side, run the line out to its full length, and then drag and jerk it
together with all their might.

Satisfied with the effects of this test, the rope was untied, the other
end made fast, and the dragging and snatching repeated without the tough
fibres of the hemp yielding in the least.

"Looks very old,"