The boy spoke cheerily enough, but his words were accompanied by a faint panting as if he were making great exertion. "I say, though, Mark," he went on, "how about your brave British boy? How about your manly pluck? Pretty pair we have been! All right, old man; I didn't slip. It was a stone. Ah!" ejaculated the boy, with a cry of pain. "Oh, Dean!" "Don't! It's all right, I tell you. Do you want to frighten me off?" "No, no, no. But you cried out." "Enough to make me. I must have twisted my ankle a bit, and it gave me such a stab just then. All right--better. Up I come. What was I talking about? Oh, I know. But I say, Mark, don't you feel like a gallant young Briton, ready to face any danger?" "No, I don't," cried Mark angrily. "I feel like a miserable coward;" and he uttered a hysterical sob as he passed his wet hand over his dripping brow. "Do you?" said Dean coolly. "Well, that's about what's the matter with me; only this is rather hard work, and I am too busy to squirm. Brave British boys! Ha, ha! Well, I suppose every chap feels a bit soft sometimes. I say, say something." "Oh, take care, old chap!" "Well, I am doing that. Say something else." "I can't!" groaned Mark. "That's enough," cried Dean excitedly. "I can't see, but I can hear that my head must be a bit out of this hole, and--Quick! Hand!" The last two words were ejaculated wildly, and Mark responded by making a snatch in the direction he felt that his cousin must be, and caught him fast, throwing himself backward. There was a rush and the fall of a heavy stone with a tremendous splash; then no sound but a hoarse breathing from two chests. "Hah!" ejaculated Dean. "That last stone must have grown mouldy, and gave way; but it's all right. Now for a rest. Shouldn't like to do that again." Then there was profound silence for the space of a few minutes as the two lads knelt there clinging to each other in the profound darkness, thinking of many things; and the thoughts of both had the same trend, the grips of their hands involuntarily growing tighter the while. How long they knelt there, communing, giving their better feelings full sway, neither knew, but at last the silence was broken by Mark whispering, "Dean, old fellow; what an escape!" "Don't, don't!" was whispered back. "Don't speak to me, or I shall break down." "Ah!" sighed Mark, and there was silence again, broken this time by Dean. "I can't help it, Mark, old fellow. I have been trying so hard; but I must be a terrible coward. Tell me, oh, do tell me! Am I safe?" The answer came faintly from apparently some distance away, in the shape of a sailor's, "Ahoy-y-y-y!" "Yes," cried Mark excitedly. "That's old Dan's voice. They are looking for us. Ahoy-y-y-y!" he shouted, with his voice sounding strangely cracked and wild.