ip.

At length their vigil was rewarded with success.

A big ship sailed into the bay with the British colours flying at her
masthead.

They almost shouted with joy at the sight.

"That's a deuce of a way off," said Harry Girdwood.

"About a mile."

"A mile is a precious good swim," grunted Harry.

"So much the better. These villainous old Turks won't be suspicious,
and a mile isn't much for either of us, I think. I don't mind it, and
we can answer for Tinker and his prime minister."

"Dat's so," said Bogey, grinning from ear to ear. "Yah, yah! Me and
Tinker swim with Massa Harry and Jack on our backs."

At dusk they matured their plan of action.

Tinker could float on the water like a cork, and was the swiftest
swimmer of the four.

Tinker was, therefore, lowered as far down as they could manage, and
then allowed to drop into the water.

It was a drop!

"Fought dis chile was gwine on dropping for a week, sar," said the
plucky young nigger, subsequently.

However, once he was on the surface, and got his wind well, he darted
through the water like a fish.

They watched his dusky form until they could see him no more.

"Now, Bogey."

"Ready, sar."

He was lowered and dropped the same as Tinker, and speedily was upon
the latter's track.

"Now my turn," said Jack. "I shall go in for a header."

"Don't," said Harry. "You'd never come up alive if you went down head
first from this height."

And Jack was dissuaded from this purpose.

He squeezed his body through the aperture.

"Give me your hand, Harry, while I look over."

His comrade obeyed, and Jack was able to see about him.

Now on his left, not more than ten feet down, was a large doorway, with
a flap similar to the doors on the water-side warehouses, in London,
from where the stores are lowered and raised from the barges by means
of an iron crane.

"I wonder what place that is?" said Jack; "if I could only reach it, my
fall would be very considerably broken."

He had a try.

They fastened their two scarves together, and Harry, making himself a
secure hold above, lowered Jack, and the latter swinging backwards and
forwards twice, dropped the second time fairly on the ledge.

It was a perilous hold.

But Jack was only second to Nero in monkey tricks, and he held on in a
most tenacious manner.

Swinging himself up he pushed his way into a dark and gloomy place.

A low vaulted chamber, dimly lighted by a flickering old lamp.

"W