But he was safe for the time, come what might, and we remained there listening to the conversation overhead, gathering that there was very little friendship existing between Walters and his new captain, who let us know that he was in great perplexity about his prisoners, and certainly not in the mind then to end their lives. What might happen afterwards we could not say. At last, after some minutes that felt like hours, they went on and down the ladder to the lower deck. "Phew!" panted Bob Hampton. "Oh, my lad, my lad, why didn't you whistle a jig out of the window?" "Why didn't I what?" I cried. "Whistle a toon, my lad. That would ha' let 'em know you could hear 'em talking, and they'd ha' gone. Hold me tight, please, for I'm 'bout spent." The man spoke so faintly that we took alarm. "No, no, Bob," I whispered. "Don't say that. Rest for a few moments, and then climb back on deck." "Rest?" he said, in so pitiful a tone that I tightened my grasp all I possibly could, and felt how absurd my advice was to a man in such a position. "You couldn't haul me in?" he whispered faintly. "No," I said despairingly. "It is impossible." "Impossible it is," he groaned. "Well, I shall have to face it." "What do you mean, man?" whispered Mr Frewen. "What we've all got to face, doctor. I couldn't swarm up that rope again." "Dale, could we get the rope round his waist, and hold him?" whispered Mr Frewen. "Here! hist! quick!" came through the opening where Mr Preddle was listening all the time. "Silence!" cried Mr Frewen, sternly. "What do you say, Hampton?" "I says as if you takes the line from under my feet for half a moment down I goes, for all the feeling's gone out of my arms. I'm done." "No, no," I whispered in desperation. "Hold on, Bob; we must--we will save you." "Ay, lad," he said dolefully, "I'll hold on as long as I can; but if you two are going to save me, you'll have to be very smart about it, I'm afraid." "Mr Frewen! Dale!" came from the opening. "Silence, I say!" cried the doctor, fiercely. "I won't be silent," cried Mr Preddle. "Here, Dale, take this; I've pushed it through as far as I can reach. Give it him. Brandy." "Ah!" ejaculated Mr Frewen. "Quick." I had already reached out with the hand which I had taken from Hampton's wrist, and was fishing about with it in the dark, but without a bite. "Where is it?" I cried; but as I spoke my knuckles came in contact with the leather-covered flask so sharply, that I knocked it out of Mr Preddle's hand, and it fell with a bang on the floor, upon which the spirit began to gurgle out. Bob Hampton groaned, and I felt that all was over; but hanging on to the rope I bent down, and guided by the sound seized the flask, gave it a shake, which told me that there was yet a good deal inside, and the next moment I was holding it to the poor fellow's lips, and listening to the gurgling the spirit made as he gulped quite a couple of mouthfuls down.