Just on one side too he could plainly see part of a man’s leg. No shadow this, but a limb of some one who had thrown himself upon the floor; and Hilary rightly judged that the crew of the lugger were snatching an hour or two’s repose previous to being called up by their leader.
The laughing and talking were silenced, and he could hear nothing but the occasional crackle of burning wood.
He raised the latch softly, pressing against the door the while; but it was fast locked, and by running his fingers down the side he could feel where the great square bolt of the lock ran into the stone wall. Escape that way was cut off, and ready to stamp with mortification Hilary stood upon the step at the top of the flight asking himself what he had best do.
There was no chance of getting away that night, so he felt that he must give it up, and the sinking despondency that came over him was for the moment terrible; but reaction soon sets in when one is on the buoyant side of twenty, and he recalled the fact that, though he might be obliged to return to his prison, he had found a way of exit; and if he went back, lowered the stone and dusted it over, he might come down another time, night or morning, and find the door open; in fact, he might keep on trying till he did.
It was very disheartening, but there seemed to be nothing else to be done, and he stood there thinking of how nearly he had escaped, but at the same he was obliged to own how happily he had avoided detection.
Then the remembrance of the well came back, and the cold perspiration broke out on his hands and brow at the bare recollection.
“Bah! what’s the good of thinking about that?” he said to himself; and he was about to descend when he fancied he heard a faint rustling noise on the other side of the door, and then whispers.
The sounds ceased directly, and he bent down so that his eye was to the keyhole, when, to his surprise, he found that something was between him and the light.
Just then the whispers began again, and placing his ear this time to the great hole, he plainly heard two men speaking:
“I think you can do it without a light,” said one.