Page 512 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

but, with a wild hoarse shriek, as though it was some sea-
monster baffled of its prey, the column sank, and left him
gasping, bleeding, half-drowned, but alive. It was impossi-
ble that he could survive another shock, and in his agony he
unclasped his stiffened fingers, determined to resign him-
self to his fate. At that instant, however, he saw on the wall
of rock that hollowed on his right hand, a red and lurid light,
in the midst of which fantastically bobbed hither and thith-
er the gigantic shadow of a man. He cast his eyes upwards
and saw, slowly descending into the gulf, a blazing bush
tied to a rope. McNab was taking advantage of the pause in
the spouting to examine the sides of the Blow-hole.
A despairing hope seized John Rex. In another instant
the light would reveal his figure, clinging like a limpet to
the rock, to those above. He must be detected in any case;
but if they could lower the rope sufficiently, he might clutch
it and be saved. His dread of the horrible death that was be-
neath him overcame his resolution to avoid recapture. The
long-drawn agony of the retreating water as it was sucked
back again into the throat of the chasm had ceased, and he
knew that the next tremendous pulsation of the sea below
would hurl the spuming destruction up upon him. The gi-
gantic torch slowly descended, and he had already drawn
in his breath for a shout which should make itself heard
above the roar of the wind and water, when a strange ap-
pearance on the face of the cliff made him pause. About six
feet from him—glowing like molten gold in the gusty glow
of the burning tree—a round sleek stream of water slipped
from the rock into the darkness, like a serpent from its hole.

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