Then, giving the master his ideas, the men were allowed a few minutes' breathing space before being formed in a line, with a space of a few yards between the men, one end of the line being close to the edge of the cliff, the other some distance inland.
In this way the men were instructed to walk slowly on, scanning every depression and clump of bared stone carefully, and at a word uttered by the man who felt that he had found any place likely to prove to be an entrance to a cave or quarry, all were to halt, the word was to be passed along, and the officers were to examine the place before the line went on again.
The plan was good, and the long line swept slowly along, the halt being called soon after they had started, but the stoppage was in vain, the midshipman and Gurr finding before them only a rough piled-up collection of stones from which the earth had in the course of ages crumbled or been washed away.
On again in the darkness, the officers pacing along portions of the line to urge on the men to be careful, and warning those near the cliff edge.
The advice was needed, for all at once, just as Archy was leaving the edge, there was a faint cry; the halt was called, and the young officer, closely followed by Dick, went quickly to the spot from whence the cry had come.
"It's Bob Harris, sir," said the last man they reached.

"I see him a moment ago, and heard him cry out, and then he was gone." With his blood seeming to chill, Archy crept in the darkness close to the cliff edge, to find that it sloped down where he stood.
"Give me your hand, Dick," he whispered.
"Lie down, my lad, and I'll go down too," said the sailor in a husky voice, which told of the horror he felt.
It was good advice, and the midshipman was putting it in force just as Gurr came tearing up.
"What is it ?" he panted.
"Bob Harris gone over, sir," whispered Dick.
"And no rope with us!" exclaimed the master.

"See anything, my lad ?" "Yes; he is just below here on a ledge.

Hi! Are you hurt ?" "No, sir," came up faintly; "but I durstn't move, or I should go over." "Lie still, then, till we pull you up.

Mr Gurr, I can almost touch him.