Ralph Henry Barbour

“ Lying on their stomachs with their heads close together they exchanged impressions.
"The beach can't be more than twenty feet down," whispered Nelson. "I think I heard the chap with the lantern a second ago."
"Someone's trying to make a landing," said Martin, "and that light is to guide him. What gets me is how they'd dare show a light if everything wasn't—well, all right."
"Why? Who's to see it a night like this? None of the patrol boats would be near enough to catch even a glimpse of it. Light doesn't travel far in a mist of this sort." ”

“ They got thoroughly wet and a trifle shivery, as night drew near, but they didn't find the shore of the harbor. They simply couldn't find anything! They were fairly certain that not far away in more than one direction lay villages, or, at least, dwellings, but Fate guided their footsteps so carefully that not the slightest sign of a habitation rewarded them. As Martin grumbled—for they reached the grumbling stage eventually—if they had committed murder and were trying to keep away from folks they'd probably bump into a house every fifty yards! ”

“ It seemed to the boys that the men must be almost upon them, and they prepared themselves for flight, but the footsteps crunched past a dozen feet away and became soundless as they reached the rough turf of the summit. Then others followed. Whatever the burdens were that they bore up the cliff they must have been fairly heavy, for breathing was labored and the scuffling sound of the booted feet suggested that they labored under considerable weight. ”

“ That fellow, whoever he is, has a boat, and even if he won't take us off he can probably tell us how to find a village."
"I don't think the light down there was in a boat," said Nelson. "I think there's a bit of beach there. A boat where that light was would be right in the surf. Listen, Mart. We're farther from the water than we were."
"Yes, but——" Martin began querulously, but stopped. After a moment he went on in a different tone. "Maybe you're right, Nep," he said softly. "Come on and let's see where we are, first of all." ”

“ The edge was much farther than they had thought, and long before they had reached it they were wriggling down a slope of worn ledge, fissured and broken, that was extremely detrimental to clothing. Mart found the edge first when his exploring hand failed to touch anything ahead of him and he gave a warning whisper. ”