"Hist, Dinny, you're talking too loudly, my man!" whispered Humphrey. "Bedad and I am, sor. It's that owld sarpint of a tongue o' mine. Bad luck to it for being given me wrong. Faix and it belonged to some woman by rights." They pressed on, and at the end of what seemed to be an interminably long time, Humphrey whispered: "Are we near the sea?" "Close to it now, sor. If it was Oireland ye'd hear the bating of the waves upon the shore; but they're too hot and wake in this counthry to do more than give a bit of a lap on the sands." Another weary length of time passed, and still the sea-shore was not reached, but they were evidently near now, for the dull murmur of the billows in the sheltered gulf was plainly to be heard; and Mistress Greenheys, who, in spite of her bravery and decision, had begun to utter a low hysterical sob from time to time and hang more heavily upon her companions' arms, took courage at the thought of the safety the sea offered, and pressed sturdily forward for another few hundred yards and then stopped short. "What is it, darlin'?" whispered Dinny. "Voices!" she replied softly. "Yes; our own," said Dinny. "There can't be anny others here." "Hist!" ejaculated Humphrey. "Is there any other way down to the beach?" "Divil a bit, sor, that we could foind, and the boat's yander, close inshore." He took a step or two in advance, and listened. "I am sure I heard whispering," said Humphrey; but all was still now, and feeling satisfied at last that it was the murmur of the waves, they crept on in utter silence, and were about to leave the shelter of the path by which they had come and make for the open sand when Dinny checked his companions, and they all stood listening, for a voice that was familiar said: "The skipper's full of fancies. He hasn't been right since this captain was made prisoner, and he has been worse since the other prisoners escaped." "Other prisoners! What prisoners?" thought Humphrey. "You hold your tongue!" growled the familiar voice of Bart. "Do you want to scare them off?" "Scare whom off?" "Those who try to escape. Silence!" Mistress Greenheys reeled up against Humphrey and would have fallen but for his strong arm which encircled her, lifted her from the ground and held her firmly as he stepped softly back, followed by Dinny, who did not speak till they had reached the shelter of some trees. "Look at that, now!" he whispered out of the black darkness. "Have ye got the darling safe?" "Yes, safe enough; but what does this mean?" "Mane, sor? Sure and it's Bart yander wid two min." "Take us down to the sea by some other path." "Shure an' don't I tell ye there is no other path, sor. It's the only way. Murther, look at that!"