He
lowered himself more cautiously than ever, till his hand grasped the
very end in which Reuben had made a knot. He hung down by it by one
hand, and looked down. He could see the ground; but it seemed still
some way below him. Should he risk a fall? He recollected the uneven
character of the wall, and hauling himself up a little, he was able to
stretch out his feet sufficiently to reach it. He put out one hand in
the same direction, and caught hold of an iron staple. He could now
clutch the wall, and feeling his way, he descended about eight feet to
the ground. It was fortunate that he had not jumped, for, instead of
sand, there was a slab of hard rock on which he would have fallen.
Scarcely had he time to get under the rope, than he saw another figure
descending.

"Try to get to the wall," he whispered, "and I will help you down."

It was Reuben. After several efforts he reached the staple, and
scrambled down. Paddy quickly followed at a much greater speed. There
was no time to warn him that the rope was too short, and had not Reuben
and Paul stretched out their arms and broken his fall, he would very
likely have broken his legs.

"I thought that I heard some one coming upstairs," he whispered. "Not
quite certain, but could not stop to learn. Away for the harbour!"

They stepped lightly till they were on the soft sands, and then they ran
on as fast as their legs could move. They examined the harbour; but not
a boat could they find of any size on the shore. They had all probably
been removed by the order of the police, to prevent either prisoners of
war or refugees from escaping. A small one, however, lay moored off a
little distance from the shore.

"I will bring her in," whispered Paul; and without another word he
stripped off his clothes, and, with knife in his mouth, slipped
noiselessly into the water, and struck boldly out towards the boat.
O'Grady and Reuben anxiously watched him, or rather the phosphorescent
wake he left in the water. Even that after a time disappeared. Could
the brave boy have sunk? The hearts of both his friends trembled.
Every instant they expected to be pounced upon by gendarmes; but though
they listened earnestly as may be supposed, no sounds came from the
tower. At length the boat began to move. Paul must have got on board
all right, and cut the cable. Yes, there he was standing up on a
thwart, and working her on with a single paddle.

"Jump in," he whispered,