The perspiration stood out upon my face as I heard above me Bob Hampton’s voice cry—
“Hullo! What’s that?”
Almost at the same moment the cabin-window was opened, I had a faint glimpse of a face looking as if out of black mist, and Mr Frewen’s voice said softly—
“Quick, some one; a knife.”
“He’s going to cut the rope,” I thought, and I tried to shout, but it was like being in a nightmare: my tongue felt paralysed, and as I hung there clinging wildly to the rope I heard voices on deck.
“What is it? Trying to get out?” some one cried, and Bob Hampton said in answer—
“Dunno! Breaking glass.”
“Where? The cabin-windows?”
“Yes.”
But while this was going on, some one leaned out of the window, and the rope was seized. Then I felt it jar as if a knife-blade was being used upon it, and this as I had turned round, and my back was toward the window.