“Mus’ Pym, Mus’ Pym, it be no time to arg’—lemme go, sir!”
“Heark’ee now, George Potter, ’twill take Sharkie Nye some half-hour to tow into musket-shot in this dark whiles yon lanthorn, though a fairish distance, is yet well within range ... nay, patience, George, lie still and listen to me! The trouble seems to be yonder lanthorn—very well, let us incontinent extinguish yon lanthorn....”
“Aye, but how, sir—how?”
“Hold thy tongue, George, and give me elbow-room.”
“Why—why, Mus’ Pym,” gasped Potter, “you never think as you can manage ... so fur ... sich a liddle bit of a thing as yon lanthorn?”
“With a bow and arrow, George, which was a weapon of less precision than such musket as mine, the worthy Tell split an apple imposed upon his small son’s head ... and to-night ... hum! Give me room, George!”
Mr. Pym extended himself comfortably at full length; they heard the sharp click as he cocked his long piece, watched him level it across convenient rock, held their breaths while he dwelt upon his aim; a spurt of fire, a roar that reverberated far and wide, a puff of smoke ... and the swinging light was not. Ensued a moment of utter stillness, then from seaward came an answering flash, hoarse commands, the red and white lights vanished, and thereafter a riot of sound as the gloom of cliff and foreshore was stabbed by musketry fire; and, lying face down upon the grass, Sir John heard the whistle and hum of bullets in the air above him.
“Quick!” cried Potter. “Run fur it, sirs, whiles they reload.... They marked Mus’ Pym’s flash an’ some on ’em’s arter us—so quick it be!”
A panting minute or so across smooth turf, a stumbling descent, a desperate scrambling over loose pebbles, a breathless race across wet sand, a groping among boulders ... and Sir John found himself alone; he was standing thus, staring dazedly about him, in his ears the shouting of his nearer pursuers, when from the dimness above a long arm reached forth, a mighty hand grasped coat collar, and he was swung from his feet, dragged through a rocky fissure, and found himself crouched beside Sir Hector.