could see the gleaming of the muzzles of the guns. And then the
foot of his pursuer was already on the corner stone at the cavern's
mouth. "Now, Caleb, on him at once!" shouted a voice. Ah me! it
was a moment in which to pity even such a man as Aaron Trow.

"Now, Caleb, at him at once!" shouted the voice. No, by heavens;
not so, even yet! The sound of triumph in those words raised the
last burst of energy in the breast of that wretched man; and he
sprang forth, head foremost, from his prison house. Forth he came,
manifest enough before the eyes of them all, and with head well
down, and hands outstretched, but with his wide glaring eyes still
turned towards his pursuers as he fell, he plunged down into the
waves beneath him. Two of those who stood by, almost unconscious of
what they did, fired at his body as it made its rapid way to the
water; but, as they afterwards found, neither of the bullets struck
him. Morton, when his prey thus leaped forth, escaping him for
awhile, was already on the verge of the cavern,--had even then
prepared his foot for that onward spring which should bring him to
the throat of his foe. But he arrested himself, and for a moment
stood there watching the body as it struck the water, and hid itself
at once beneath the ripple. He stood there for a moment watching
the deed and its effect, and then leaving his hold upon the rock, he
once again followed his quarry. Down he went, head foremost, right
on to the track in the waves which the other had made; and when the
two rose to the surface together, each was struggling in the grasp
of the other.

It was a foolish, nay, a mad deed to do. The poor wretch who had
first fallen could not have escaped. He could not even swim, and
had therefore flung himself to certain destruction when he took that