"Why, your honour," he answered, "I scarcely know how it all happened myself, for after the blackguards dragged off you and Mr D'Arcy, I was in such a taking, thinking that they were going to heave you over the cliff, that I didn't seem to know where I was or what I was doing. At last they made the handkerchief fast round my eyes again, so that I couldn't see a wink; and they began to haul me along, till I found that I was out of the cave and in the open air. On I went, up and down hill, some way inland, it seemed; and then back again through a chine down to the seashore. After a bit they led me up hill, and making me sit down on a rock, they told me that if I stirred an inch before daylight, I should meet with the same fate my master had done. "`How am I to tell when daylight comes, you lubbers, if you leave me with my eyes blinded,' said I. "No one answered, but I fancied I heard some one laugh close to me. They then lashed my arms behind me, so that I could not cast off the bandage from my eyes. "`So you are not going to carry me to foreign parts,' said I, for I thought, as they didn't mind killing my officer, they would think nothing of sending me over the cliffs also. "`We've changed our minds,' said they, `and can't be troubled with you; so ask no questions.' "I didn't like the answer at all, for I made sure they was going to do away with me somehow; but, as I couldn't help myself, I was not going to show them what a funk I was in; so I pretended to whistle, quite happy like. I had been whistling away some time, when I thought I heard their footsteps moving off; and so it proved; for when I next sung out to them, no one answered. I called them all manner of names, and blackguarded them like fun; but it didn't make them angry, because, you see, there was no one there to hear me. At last, when I'd grown hoarse with hallooing after them, I thought I might as well go to sleep a bit, seeing as how I couldn't manage to move, or to cast off the lashings round my arms. How long I slept I don't know; but I was woke up by hearing some one hail me, and I soon knew that they were some of the cutter's people. When they got up to me, and cast off the handkerchief from my eyes, then I found I had been sitting not ten feet above the beach, and directly opposite where the cutter is brought up. That, your honour, is all I know about it; but who the people are who played us the trick, or whereabouts the cave is, is more than I can say." "Do not you think that we might manage to discover the cave, though?" asked the Commander. "No, sir, certainly not," answered Stretcher, positively. "It may be close to us, or it may be five miles off. To my mind, it's some very clever hide; and those who took us there knew very well we should never find it again." "We must see about that," observed my uncle. "By-the-bye, Stretcher, I gave you some things to take charge of; where are they?"