edge of the deep pool, and then went in sidewise to swim like a seal
for the low archway, whose weed-hung edges were only a few inches above
the surface of the water, and as he reached it to pass under he laid his
head sidewise so that the dripping shell-covered weed wiped his cheek.

There had been no hesitation on the part of the prisoners. Aleck sprang
in as soon as their guide was a few feet away, and the middy followed,
both finding their task delightfully easy as they swam some fifty yards
through a low tunnel, whose roof was for the most part so close to the
surface that more than once, as the smooth water heaved, Aleck's face
just touched the impending smoothly-worn stone.

But there were two places, only a few yards in, where the arch was
broken into a yawning crack, from which the water dripped in a heavy
shower.

"Look up as you come along here," cried Aleck to his companion, and then
he shuddered, for his voice raised a peculiar echo, suggesting weird
hollows and tunnels, while as he increased his strokes to get past and
the middy came under in turn, he shouted again after his leader:

"Why, Tom, that must be where the water snatched us up and nearly
drowned us."

Five minutes later all three were swimming for a rough natural pier, and
Tom Bodger gave his head a sidewise wag towards another low cavernous
arch.

"'Nother way in there," he said. "Jynes the one we came out of. You
must have seen how the waves dance and splash there in rough weather,
Master Aleck?"

"No," was the reply. "I've only seen that it's a terribly rough bit of
coast. I never came down here, and of course I was never out in my boat
when it was rough."

"Course not, sir. It is a coarse bit. I had no end of a job to get
down, and I spect that it's going to be a bit worse going up agen. What
do you say to sitting up yonder in the sunshine on that there shelf?
The birds'll soon go. You can make yourselves comf'able and get dry
while I go up and get a rope. Dessay I can be back in an hour or so."

"No," cried the lads, in a breath. "We'll climb it if you can."

Climb up the dangerous cliff they did by helping one another, and with
several halts to look down at the still falling tide; and in one of
these intervals Aleck exclaimed:

"But I still can't see how the smugglers could run a boat up and row
into that cavern."

"Course they couldn't row, sir," replied Tom, "on'y shove her in. But
don't you see what a beautifu