Page 531 - for-the-term-of-his-natural-life

He was so intent upon watching this dangerous and dif-
ficult operation that he was oblivious of an extraordinary
change which had taken place in the interior of the cavern.
The water which, an hour ago, had left exposed a long reef of
black hummock-rocks, was now spread in one foam-flecked
sheet over the ragged bottom of the rude staircase by which
he had descended. The tide had turned, and the sea, appar-
ently sucked in through some deeper tunnel in the portion
of the cliff which was below water, was being forced into the
vault with a rapidity which bid fair to shortly submerge the
mouth of the cave. The convict’s feet were already wetted
by the incoming waves, and as he turned for one last look
at the boat he saw a green billow heave up against the en-
trance to the chasm, and, almost blotting out the daylight,
roll majestically through the arch. It was high time for Bur-
gess to take his departure if he did not wish his whale-boat
to be cracked like a nut against the roof of the tunnel. Alive
to his danger, the Commandant abandoned the search af-
ter his late prisoner’s corpse, and he hastened to gain the
open sea. The boat, carried backwards and upwards on the
bosom of a monstrous wave, narrowly escaped destruction,
and John Rex, climbing to the gallery, saw with much sat-
isfaction the broad back of his out-witted gaoler disappear
round the sheltering promontory. The last efforts of his pur-
suers had failed, and in another hour the only accessible
entrance to the convict’s retreat was hidden under three feet
of furious seawater.
His gaolers were convinced of his death, and would
search for him no more. So far, so good. Now for the last

0 For the Term of His Natural Life