Page 530 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

Striking the disintegrated mass with his iron-shod heel,
John Rex broke off convenient portions; and making a bag
of his shirt by tying the sleeves and neck, he was speedily
staggering into the cavern with a supply of fuel. He made
two trips, flinging down the wood on the floor of the gal-
lery that overlooked the sea, and was returning for a third,
when his quick ear caught the dip of oars. He had barely
time to lift the seaweed curtain that veiled the entrance to
the chasm, when the Eaglehawk boat rounded the prom-
ontory. Burgess was in the stern-sheets, and seemed to
be making signals to someone on the top of the cliff. Rex,
grinning behind his veil, divined the manoeuvre. McNab
and his party were to search above, while the Comman-
dant examined the gulf below. The boat headed direct for
the passage, and for an instant John Rex’s undaunted soul
shivered at the thought that, perhaps, after all, his pursu-
ers might be aware of the existence of the cavern. Yet that
was unlikely. He kept his ground, and the boat passed with-
in a foot of him, gliding silently into the gulf. He observed
that Burgess’s usually florid face was pale, and that his left
sleeve was cut open, showing a bandage on the arm. There
had been some fighting, then, and it was not unlikely that
all his fellow-desperadoes had been captured! He chuckled
at his own ingenuity and good sense. The boat, emerging
from the archway, entered the pool of the Blow-hole, and,
held with the full strength of the party, remained stationary.
John Rex watched Burgess scan the rocks and eddies, saw
him signal to McNab, and then, with much relief, beheld
the boat’s head brought round to the sea-board.