Witness to the Deed Part 27

"Your blood be on your own heads, then," said the officer who had now come up. "Once more: in the queen's name, surrender!"

No answer, but the hurried rustle of the descending fugitives.

Sharp orders were given, and then came the fatal word:

"Fire!"

Several rifles rattled out their deadly challenge now, and as the warders peered over into the darkness, up through the heavy smoke came a peculiar snarl, more like the cry of a savage beast than the utterance of a human throat, while directly after, sending a thrill of horror through the men who were looking down, there was the sound of the heavy plunge as of something falling from a great height into the sea.

Then silence, save that the heavy breathing of the warders was audible as they listened for the cry, "Help!" which they expected to hear from the water when the wounded man rose to the surface, not one of the guard daring in his own mind to think upon either of the shots fired as being fatal.

At that moment there was a flash from off the sea a quarter of a mile away, and a few moments later another glare, both sending a brilliant path of light across the smooth water. And now, plainly seen in the midst of a bluish halo on the black night, there stood out the rigging and hull of a ship, with figures moving here and there; two boats were lowered down, and directly after the water flashed and sparkled as oars were dipped, and the man-of-war cutters, with their armed crews, were rowed in toward the rocks.

By this time there were fresh arrivals on the cliff path, the firing having drawn there men bearing lanterns, and the officer in charge shouted:

"Got them?"

"No, sir," said the first officer respectfully. "Sergeant Liss is down badly hurt with a stone, and Raddon's shoulder is hurt."

"But the prisoners, man?" cried the newcomer, evidently one high in authority.

"I'm afraid, sir--"

"The prisoners?"

"Below here somewhere, sir--two of them."

"Yes, and the other?"

"We were obliged to fire, sir, and there was a cry, and we heard one fall into the sea."

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

FREE!

It was a slim, grey-haired, military looking man who listened to these words with the light of one of the lanterns full upon his face, which contracted into a heavy frown.

"You challenged them--warned them well?"

"Again and again, sir. It was not until they were right down here, after the sergeant had been hurt, that we fired."

The governor, for he it was, shrugged his shoulders and gave his orders.

Then four of the most active of the warders began to descend, lanterns in hand, each looking like a spark on the face of the black rock.

The task was so perilous that at the end of a few minutes the governor ordered the men to halt, while ropes were fetched, and in due time these were brought and secured to the climbers' waists, the ropes being paid out by the warders on the shelf, the light of the lanterns being now supplemented by the blue lights held in the sterns of the fast approaching cutters.

"Ahoy, there, ash.o.r.e!" was shouted by the officer in one of the boats; "men escaping?"

"Yes; three," was shouted back. "Row to and fro, and see if you can make out a man swimming."

"Right! Swimming, indeed! Where's he to swim to?" grumbled the officer; and at a word then the boats separated, and were rowed slowly along at a short distance from the sh.o.r.e.

Then came a hall from below, and a man bearing one lantern began to climb sidewise to where another had become stationary.

"Well?" from the shelf.

"One of 'em, sir."

"Mind. Wait for help and look out for treachery."

"He won't show no treachery," muttered the warder, holding the lantern over a ghastly face contorted by agony. "Well, mate, I'd give in now."

"Yes," said the man with a groan. "I'm sick as a dog. Hold me. I shall go into the sea. Get me back. The doctor."

He said no more. His grasp of the rock to which he clung relaxed, and he began to slide down sidewise till the warder thrust his leg beneath him and grasped one arm.

"Look sharp!" he said to his companion. "Set the lantern down, and mine too."

"Can you hold him?"

"Yes; all right. Now untie the rope from round me, and make it fast under his arms."

"Where's he hurt?" said the second warder.

"Leg, I think. His things are all wet with blood. Look sharp."

The knots were untied, and as the insensible, wounded man was held up, the rope was made fast under his arms, and at the word, the unfortunate wretch was carefully hauled up.

But before he was half-way to the shelf there was a second hail from close down the water side.

"Here's another of 'em, sir."

"Hurt?"

"Yes, sir, or else shamming."

"Wait till another man gets down to you," cried the governor. "Be careful!"

The man who had given up his rope was not far above the spot where the second convict lay; and he managed to lower himself down, holding his lantern the while in his teeth, and soon after adding its light to that of the other warder's.

"Think he's shamming?" asked the man who had found him.

The fresh comer stooped down without hesitation, in spite of the warning from above; and after looking fixedly in the convict's closely shaven face, pa.s.sed his hand here and there about the prison clothes.

"Don't feel nothing," he said, "but this isn't shamming. Here, hold up, my lad. Where are you hurt?"

There was no reply, and the cleanly cut, aristocratic features of the man looked very stony and fixed.