By the time that this was done the last of the carriers had received his load, and the creaking or the windlass had ceased. "That’s all," said Doubledick. "Now get ’ee up-along to well, and lend a hand in the hoisting." "Be we to wait for ’ee, Maister, when the tubs be all up?" asked a man. "No, no. You’ll do best to carr’ the tubs off as quick as may be. I’ll go straight home-along. To-morrer mornin’, after church, if ye like ye can come down-along to inn, where there’ll be a nibleykin of rum-hot ready for every man of ’ee." The carriers tramped into the tunnel, and the sound of their footsteps died away. A voice came up into the chamber from below. "Iss," said Doubledick in reply. "Stand by while I let down the passel. Belike ye know enough English to understand that." Dick fancied that he heard a low chuckle from below, and a foreign voice say, "All right." Doubledick had already begun to clear away the barrels at the end of the stack nearest to the windlass. It was plain that what he had got to do was a secret between himself and the men below; the tub-carriers were ignorant of it. Dick moved silently to the other end of the stack, the place where he had entered, and gazed round to watch the innkeeper’s proceedings. Even now, though there appeared to be no danger of detection, the upper part of his face remained covered with a mask. He had removed the lanterns, and placed them on the floor; several of the top row of barrels had been lifted down. His object, without doubt, was to drag Penwarden forth, and lower him by means of the windlass to the men waiting beneath. Dick felt sure that these were the French crew of the lugger that had brought the cargo, and that the "parcel" they were expecting was the old exciseman, whom they were to carry to France. The innkeeper’s pre-occupation was Dick’s opportunity. In another second or two the cutting of the prisoner’s bonds must be discovered. As Doubledick was rolling a barrel towards the wall, Dick, moving silently on his almost bare feet, rushed like a whirlwind on the man. Doubledick at that moment made a half-turn, as if some instinct warned him of danger, but he was too late to prevent Dick from getting a suffocating grip round his neck. He gasped, groaned, struggled frantically to free himself. Both fell to the floor, knocking over one of the lanterns, and rolling perilously near the open trapdoor. Dick never let go his grip on the inn-keeper’s throat, for it was necessary to prevent the men below from suspecting that anything was amiss. [Illustration: "DICK RUSHED LIKE A WHIRLWIND ON THE MAN."]