Noel made no reply, nor did a violent shake produce from him anything more than a sob of fear.
"Leave him alone," said the big man in a tone of disgust. "He's just as senseless as a mouse in the clutches of a cat. I don't believe he knows, after all. We'll find it without his help if it's anywhere near. Let us see where this passage leads."
"Ay, but first we must stop the kid's mouth," said the other. "We don't want his cries to attract attention to us. Give us that silk handkerchief of yours, Ned."
His companion handed over the article and looked on without pity while Isaac skilfully bound it as a gag across Noel's mouth. Then he proceeded, to tie the boy's hands and feet together.
This task, however, was never finished, for suddenly the barking of a dog and the sound of voices were heard from outside the cave. Isaac sprang down the ladder and was off like a shot. The other man tried to follow, but ere he could get his big form through the hole which opened into the outer cave, Nero had gripped him and held him a prisoner with the upper part of his body in one cave and his legs in the other.
It would have gone badly with him had not Mr. Fletcher come speedily to the rescue. Then the ruffian got off, much to the gentleman's regret when he found the condition in which poor little Noel was left. As it had been impossible for the men in their haste to remove the ladder, Mr. Fletcher had no difficulty in reaching the boy and carrying him down in safety.
Noel had fainted, and as an unconscious burden Mr. Fletcher bore him through the waves to where his mother and Duke were waiting just beyond their reach.
It took Noel some days to recover from the shock of that alarming adventure. Meanwhile, efforts were made to trace the two scoundrels who had treated him so roughly. The man named Isaac was well known to the police as a seaman of doubtful character belonging to that neighbourhood, whose occasional visits to his native place afforded little satisfaction to the inhabitants.
Of the big man nothing was known save that he had visited Trevethick during the previous summer, and was believed to have come from Bristol.