Both of them stood between me and the outer cave, one of them holding a smuggler's lantern in his hand, and the man called Sam whispered something in the other's ear. "Do you knaw what Sam's bin sayin'?" said the smuggler to me presently. "No." "He ses, 'Bill Lurgy,' ses 'ee, 'tha's a daicent fella, an' we do'ant want to cut hes windpipe. Git 'im to jine us.'" "To join you!" I said with a sneer, for I thought of Naomi just then. "Oh, I zee. I thot zo. Well, then, that settles et." "Settles what?" "This business. You zee, we mus' be olf. I spoase you knaw oal 'bout this caave?" "Yes." "Saicret way out?" I nodded. Sam took a huge knife which hung in a sheath by his side. "I'm right sorry for this, matey," said Bill Lurgy. "If you'd a promist to jine us, we cud a kipt 'ee ere till the Cap'n comed, an' then 'ee might 'ave tooked 'ee on. Besides, ther's a special cargo comin' in d'reckly, defferent to this," he added, looking at the ankers of spirits in the cave; "in fact, it's a fortin to we pore chaps." "And I'm to be killed?" I said. "You mus' be. Sam Liddicoat 'll 'ave to do et," he said, as coolly as though I were a chicken he intended to kill for a dinner. "Then I tell you, I'm not," I said, quietly. "How be 'ee goin' to git away, my sonny? It's 'bout wawn o'clock in the mornin' now. Nobody 'll come 'ere but chaps like we." I made a leap at Sam Liddicoat suddenly, and struck him a stunning blow, which sent him with great force against the side of the cave. Then I turned to Bill Lurgy. My idea was to master him before Sam should recover, and then escape up the secret way to the copse. Bill leapt on me like a mad bull. "Oa, tha's yer soarts, es et?" he cried. "Well, I zed I'd ruther do et in 'ot fight." I had not been struggling with Bill Lurgy more than a few seconds before I had mastered him. As I said, the Penningtons are a large race, and Bill Lurgy, strong man as he was, became but a child in my hands. He went on the floor of the cave with a thud, and then I fastened my hands around his throat. I felt mad at the moment, and, remembering that time, I can quite understand how men, when driven to extremities, can forget the sacredness of human life. But in mastering Bill I had forgotten Sam Liddicoat, whom I had struck down before he was aware of my intentions. Hearing a sound behind me, I turned, and saw Sam with his knife uplifted. Whether I should have been able to save myself or no, I know not; I have sometimes thought it would have been impossible. Anyhow, Sam did not strike. He was startled, as I was, by a voice in the cave. "No, Sam, no!"