Sir Henry’s steps were heard to die away, and so silent was everything that Hilary concluded that the skipper must have also gone; but just as he had made up his mind that this was the case some one uttered an oath.
“Give me the keys, Allstone,” Hilary heard the next moment; and once more he concluded that all was over, for there was the jingle of the iron, and it seemed that now he was left to himself Martin was about to visit the young prisoner, and try to frighten him into following out his wishes.
Hilary was in despair, but he made up his mind what to do, and that was to fling open the door and walk swiftly across the place where the men were lying about, as soon as he heard the skipper and Allstone go into the old chapel.
To his dismay, however, the man came straight to the door where Hilary was standing, raised the latch, opened it, and as the young officer drew back the heavy door struck him in the chest, but before he could recover from his surprise there was a sharp bang, with the accompanying rattle of the great latch, and as a dull echo came from below, the key was turned, and the lock shot into the stone cheek.
“Curse him and his fine airs!” Hilary heard the skipper say, hoarsely. “I shall have the young villain bringing the cutter’s crew down upon us. I wish his neck was broken.”
“Put him in the top room, then,” said Allstone; “he’ll break his neck trying to get away.”
“Not he,” said the skipper; “those middies can climb like cats. He’s safe enough now, I suppose.”
“Oh, yes,” said Allstone, “I went and had a look at the window-bars to-night.”
“Safe enough, yes,” muttered Hilary, as he heard the departing steps; “they’ve locked me up safe enough. Was anything ever so vexatious?”
As he heard the clang of a door he placed his eye to the open keyhole, and through it he could see into the great kitchen, which now seemed to be lit only by the glow from a great wood fire, for the shadows danced on the wall, and when now and then the fire fell together and the flames danced up more brightly he could make out quite definitely a pair of the shadows, which were evidently those of a couple of half-recumbent men.