“My missus or one of the other women’s got it.”
“But you said there were a lot of these irons; there must be more than one key.”
“I never saw but one, sir, and that we had up at home. It was my old woman’s idee to chain him up like this. You see, it’s three or four of them irons locked together, and one end’s about his ankle and the other’s locked to the ring there that we let into the rock and fixed with melted lead so as to fix tackle to when we wanted to haul in casks or moor a boat.”
“Then you must go and find your wife, and get it,” said Aleck, firmly.
“Go up on the cliff, young gentleman, and walk right into the hands of the boat’s crew hunting for me, eh?”
“I don’t care; I will have this gentleman set free. You may not meet any of the sailors,” cried Aleck, and almost at every word of his brave standing up for the prisoner he felt himself rewarded by a warm pressure of the hand.
“That’s all right enough, Master Aleck Donne, but you know what I’ve told you ’bout being made prisoner and having to nearly lose my life in swimming for my liberty?”
“Yes, perfectly well; but I must have him cast free, even if he has to wait a bit before he goes out of the cave.”
“But you heard, too, what he said, sir, and I shouldn’t be a bit surprised if, when they caught me, they did hang me to the yard-arm of one of their ships.”
“Yes, yes, I know,” said Aleck; “but—”