I say, Mr Raystoke, you've done it now." Half angry, half amused, but all the while smarting with the pain caused by a blow he had received, Archy remained silent, listening to the heavy breathing and muttering of his companions in misfortune.

The sounds above ground had ceased, and it was evident that the smugglers had made good their escape.
Again the silence was broken by the master, who raging with pain and mortification, exclaimed,-- "Well, Mr Raystoke, sir, you know all about this place; which is the way out ?" "Up above here, Mr Gurr, close to where we stand." "Very well, sir; then why don't you lead on ?" "Because they have shut and fastened the trap, and heaped about a ton of stone upon it." "Well, then, we must hack through the door with our cutlashes, and let the stone down." "What's that ?" cried Archy excitedly,--"a light!" For there was a dull report and a flash of blue like lightning; and, running down the slope, the midshipman beheld that which sent a thrill of terror through him.

For, away toward the far end of the cave, there was a great pool of flickering blue light; and, as it lit up the ceiling and the huge square stone supports of the place, he saw that which explained the meaning of what had seemed to be a wonderful phenomenon.
There, beyond the flickering pool of blue and yellow flame, which was rapidly spreading in every direction, he could dimly see quite a wall of piled-up kegs, one of which lay right in the edge of the pool of fire, and suddenly exploded with a dull report, which blew the tongues of fire in all directions, half extinguishing them for the moment, but instantaneously flashing out again in a volume of fire, which quadrupled the size of the pool, and began to lick the sides of the kegs.
"The wretches! They fired the spirits before they escaped," cried Archy, who realised to the full what had been done; and, for the sake of our common humanity, let us say it must have been an act of vindictive spite, aimed only at the destruction of the proof spirit, so that it might not fall into the sailors' hands--not intended to condemn them to a hideous death.
"Back quick to the entrance! We must hack down that door," roared Archy.
"Ay, ay," shouted the men, who the moment before were mad with terror, but who leaped at the command as if their safety were assured.
"No, no!" shouted the midshipman, as a fresh keg exploded; and in the flash of flame which followed, the place glowed with a ghastly light.
"Yes, sir, yes!" shouted the men.
"I tell you no," cried Archy; "we should be burned or suffocated long before we could get that open." And, as in imagination he saw the men fighting and striving with one another to get to the trap-door, which remained obstinately closed, he clapped his hand on Mr Gurr's shoulder.
"I know another way," he cried.

"Follow me." "Hurrah!" yelled the men, and the lad had taken a dozen steps toward the pool of fire, when a wild shout came from near the entrance.
"All! Who's that ?" cried Archy, as he mentally saw a wounded man being left behind.
"Don't leave a poor fellow to be burnt to death, Mr Raystoke," cried a familiar voice.
"Ram!" cried Archy, running back to where the boy lay bound behind a pile of stones, forgotten for the time, and unheeded by his companions.
"Yes, it's me," said the boy excitedly.
"Quick! Get up.

Can you walk ?" said Archy, cutting him free.
"Yes," cried the lad.
"Then come on!" "For the top passage," whispered Ram.