Now or never I must gain the mouth of the cave, so, dashing forward, I ran along the tunnel towards the place where I knew the rest of the villains to be, for I heard them shouting in alarm as they hastened to their comrade's aid.
Just then I noticed that the passage, or tunnel, turned sharply to the left, and was quite dark when compared with the subdued light of that portion of the cave in which I had been kept a prisoner.
Down I lay full length on the floor, resting on my left side, and as the four men rushed blindly onward the first tripped over my prostrate body. The second I caught by the ankle, and he also fell, while the remaining two were brought up by a barrier of sprawling legs.
Ere they could realize who I was, I regained my feet, darted betwixt them and the wall of the cavern, and headed straight for the entrance.
Nor did I stop to think, but, gathering speed as I ran, I boldly leapt into space, still grasping the fatal knife in my hand.
Even as I felt myself hurtling through those fifty feet, however, I wondered whether, in my impetuous leap, I would strike the sea or solid rock, for I had not even stopped to see whether the cliff there fell sheer into the water or not.
Fortunately the precipice sloped inwards, so that I escaped being dashed to pieces. Keeping in an upright position, I struck the water feet first with tremendous force, and plunged beneath the surface to a considerable depth.
A few lusty strokes sufficed to bring me to the surface, however, and shaking my hair from my face, I struck out for the shelter of the overhanging cliff, so that I should be unperceived by the rogues in the cave.
It being close on low tide, the rise and fall in those parts being but five feet at most, there was nothing that would afford a foothold; the rocks were as smooth as a plank, and covered with a thick, dark curtain of seaweed.
Owing to the slight swell, the backwash of the waves made swimming a matter of difficulty, as I was continually in peril of being thrown against the cliff; and realizing that the sooner I found a landing-place the better, I again struck out, swimming along the face of the cliff and about ten feet from it, keeping a sharp look-out both for a possible refuge and for the swell, of which every seventh wave was more dangerous than the rest.