CHAPTER XII.

THE CAVE AMONG THE ROCKS.

At five o’clock on the following morning Ralph was roused by the landlord, who brought him a candle; he lost no time in dressing, buckled on his sword, looked to the priming of the double-barreled pistols Mr. Penfold had given him, and placed them in his belt.  Then he went downstairs and put the handcuffs into the pocket of his great coat.  He then went to the bar, where the landlord was kindling a fire.

“I want a bottle of whisky, landlord, a loaf of bread, and a big lump of cheese.”  As he was waiting for these, Lieutenant Desmond joined him.

“That’s right, Conway, there is nothing like laying in a stock of creature comforts when you have the chance.  Look here, landlord, get an empty bottle and put half the whisky in, and then fill them both up with water.  Cut that loaf of bread in halves; in that way we can get it in our pockets.  That’s right; now do the same with the cheese.  You and I may not be together, Conway, so it’s just as well to divide the commissariat; to say nothing of the convenience of carriage.  Now, have you got the handcuffs?  That’s right, we will be off at once.”

The landlord went to the door with them and looked after them, somewhat surprised at seeing no soldiers about.

“What can they be up to by themselves at this hour of the morning?” he said to himself.  “Well, they are two nice young fellows anyway, and I hope that they are not going to get into mischief.  Now I will just make up the fire, and then sit down for an hour’s snooze in my arm-chair.  The captain said he was to be called at six.  I suppose they are going out still-hunting somewhere.  Well, I wish them luck; for when the boys can get their whisky for next to nothing they don’t care about coming here, and small blame to them, for I shouldn’t myself.”

Not a soul was astir in the village as the two young officers passed along.  They turned off at the lane leading to the sea, and after proceeding a quarter of a mile came to a point where the roadway ended, the path beyond this being merely a track.  Here there was a gate across the lane, and a wall running right and left.

“We can’t find a better spot than this, Conway,” Lieutenant Desmond said.  “If we sit down one on each side against the wall, a hundred men might pass along without noticing us.”

“Which side shall we sit, Desmond?”

“We will sit this side,” the lieutenant replied.  “If we were the other side a man might possibly wrench himself way from our grasp, and might outrun us, but on this side of the gate he couldn’t do so; for even if he did break away he would have to run back toward the village, the gate would stop his going the other way.”

Accordingly the young officers took their posts against the wall, one on either side of the gate, and with their swords drawn awaited the coming of a messenger to the Red Captain.