He knew in a moment the great peril of the girl on the beach below him; he saw that already the tide was chafing in white surf at each horn of the bay, round either of which she could alone escape from the watery trap that enclosed her, unless taken off the shore by a boat. The General was on foot; that part of the coast was very lonely and no house or hut was, near; but intent upon her rescue, he hurried away as fast as a limp in a wounded leg (he had received a ball at Ghuznee) would permit him, from place to place, in search of a boat; but neither boat nor fisherman could be found in time to take her off that perilous beach, ere the tide covered it. The evening darkened quickly, and the stormy wind brought faster in the stormy sea. Near the gate-lodge of his own residence, he met Audley Trevelyan strolling leisurely in the avenue with his hands in his pockets, accompanied by his huge dog, and enjoying a cigar before the bell should ring to dress for dinner; but the havannah fairly dropped from his lips in his surprise on beholding the excited state of the usually calm and collected General Trecarrel. "What's the row, General--what the deuce is the matter?" he asked. "A dreadful thing will occur--if it has not already occurred--a poor girl on a solitary part of the beach yonder, has been cut off by the tide, and unless we can save her in ten minutes at farthest, all will be over--yes, in ten minutes!" added Trecarrel, looking at his gold watch--the gift of Sir John Keane, with whom he had served in the conquest of Cabul. "Good Heavens, let us get a boat at once!" "There is not one to be had--the pilchard fishers hereabout are all at sea!" "Lower someone over the cliffs by a rope; I have gone myself, thus, for a chough's egg, more than once." "The rocks are nearly two hundred feet in height in some places, and the poor girl----" "Is she a lady, General?" "Yes, and a handsome one, too." "You know her then--she is not a stranger?" "To me only--a Miss Devereaux, who resides at Porthellick." "_Who_ do you say?" shouted Audley; "Sybil Devereaux?" "The same." "Merciful Heavens, let us do something at once!" "True, but without a boat what can be done?"