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Another half minute or so might have been fatal, but Aleck had some little energy left, and, after a strangling fit of coughing, he was able to sit up. "Take the rope off!" he panted. This was done, and in a few minutes he was breathing freely and able to talk. "I didn't get a fair start," he said, hoarsely.
The face was familiar enough to Aleck as the midshipman hitched himself up a little higher upon the elbow which supported him, and his new visitor saw that the fierce eyes were not directed at him, but at the smuggler who bore the lanthorn. "Then you've come at last?" he said, fiercely.
Aleck, in such a mood as this, was as much fun as a dancing bear, and in five minutes more he had won peals of laughter from Mélanie. It was what he wanted to brighten her spirits. So presently he came back to the big chair, though he did not again take her hand. "I knew you were titled and important, Mélanie, and at first I thought that sealed my case entirely.
He sat on the narrow seat encircling the stern, with his back against the gunwale, where, on the one hand he could watch the steersman elevated on his little platform, while on the other side he was prepared for any demonstration from the bow. The steersman was Natalie's humorous breed; his name was Aleck.
"Shall I go arter him, sir?" said Tom. "No, no. He is half way to the top by now." "Yes, yes," cried the middy; "and look sharp, or perhaps he'll be trying to shut us up again." "Not he," said Aleck; "he won't stop till he is safe. I don't believe we shall see the lazy old scoundrel again." Aleck's words proved to be true.
Aleck rested his throbbing head upon his crossed arms and sank into a feverish kind of sleep, during which, in a short half-hour, he went through what seemed like an age of trouble, before he started up, and in an excited, spasmodic way, hardly realising what he was doing in his half-waking, half-sleeping state, but under the influence of his troubled thoughts, he roughly selected a few of his under-things for a change and made them up into a bundle, after which he counted over the money he had left after the morning's disbursement, and told himself it would be enough, and that the sooner he was away from the dear old Den the better.
Rumor told of thieves and murderers encamped in the hollow bowl of a great sandhill, where they slept or caroused by day, venturing forth only at night. Aleck McTurpin's name was now and then associated with them as a leader. Men were importing safes from the States and carrying derringers at night even the peaceful Mormons.
It is quite likely that this may be examined into later on, but my business now is to find my messmate. Look here, it will save a good deal of trouble, and make things much easier for you, if you put me up to the place where the prisoner is hidden." "Perhaps it would," said Aleck, firmly now; "but I tell you I know nothing whatever about your young midshipman.
"Yes, it is. That's right; only the wind, my lad. The cave's sucking because the sea keeps on opening and shutting the mouth at this time of the tide, and one minute the air's rushing in here and the next it's rushing out. Now do you see?" "Yes, I think so," said Aleck. "Then here goes."
He forgot the woman again directly in the business of watching the boat, which kept on coming into sight far below and disappearing again, drawing forth the mental remark from Aleck, "Labour in vain," for he felt that all the openings below where he stood had been thoroughly searched.
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