cutlasses. They made but very little progress, however, by these means, notwithstanding the ardour with which they worked, and that they frequently relieved each other. Cleaver was bes coming impatient, and Lord Eaglesholme still more so. They were even thinking of sending to procure sledge hammers, when a loud clamour ing noise of voices was heard within, and a blaze of light began to appear through the chinks around the door..

Bill Handy, after having been so suddenly left alone, began immediately to think how he could rid himself of his bonds. He accordingly rolled himself gently off the heap of straw, and after a great many efforts, he at length managed to work himself towards the fire. The logs composing it having been pretty much burnt down, some of them had fallen aside. By wriggling his body, he was enabled to advance his hands towards one of the ignited fragments, lying furthest from the rest, and by stretching his arms as far asunder as the ropes would admit, and bringing one on each side of the flame, so as to allow it to play upon the cords without injury to himself, he gradually consumed them, and then burst them in twain

This took a considerable time to effect, and was not accomplished until the smugglers had been driven within the building. But after his hands were set at liberty, the release of his legs becamet a very easy matter. Las alapf gnimoo Reflecting that he was but one against many, and guessing how matters stood, from the voices, as well as from the report of the fire-arms within: and without the keep, he thought it right to act with caution, and accordingly he stole quietly, in the dark, up the narrow stair, leading from the vaults to the low-roofed, and very confined pass age within the doorway, with the intention, if he found the coast clear, to let in his friends. But in this scheme he was completely baulked; for he had no sooner put his head over the uppermost step in to the passage, than the trampling of feet on the stone floor, and the jostling and squeezing he heard, convinced him that the greater number, if not, the whole of the gang, afraid of the door, being forced from without, had crowded them, selves together into that narrow space, to endea vour to resist an entrance. OP 3m of to obra In this dilemma, an expedient occurred to his fertile brain, which he lost not a moment in carrying into effect. Bethinking himself of the spirit

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kegs heaped up below, he hastened down into the vault, and succeeded in carrying first one, and then two or three more in succession, to the top of the stairs. Then fumbling for Mr Brouster's cork-screw, he drew the bungs, and inverted the kegs, one after another, allowing the liquor to flow slowly out of them, till he had deluged the pavement of the place in brandy, up to the very door. He then ran down to the fire, and taking up a piece of live charcoal, which he smothered up in straw, he returned to the top the stair, and opening the sluice of his last barrel, he set fire to the stream of brandy, by applying the live coal and the straw together, and then retreated into the great guard-room behind, to watch the result of his stratagem.

of

The effect was instantaneous. The villains finding themselves thus suddenly and unaccountably enveloped in flames, and standing ankle deep in a flood of liquid fire, coming they knew not whence, were terrified beyond all conception. Crowded as they were, their clothes caught fire, and, howling like demons with pain and terror, they endeavoured to escape, most of them down the narrow stair into the vault, tumbling over the empty barrels with horrid din, and choking

up the straight passage. The old Idoor having caught fire, burned like tinder, and was now assailed with redoubled shocks from without. But the liquid stream of fire came rushing out from underneath it, so copiously, that, for some time, the assailants could hardly keep to their posts. Cheered, however, by the shouts of their friends, and still more by the voice of Handy from within, who from the shelter he had gained, called out to them that they might safely approach the entrance without fear of the enemy, they crowded up against it. The door yielded to their redoubled efforts; and the flaming tide having by this time ebbed away, the whole party, entered.

Lord Eaglesholme, whose impatience was excessive, had already rushed forward, in an agony of anxiety, to search for his niece. Shrieks were again heard in the vaulted room above. He rushed up the narrow winding stair, followed by Cleaver and Handy. Attracted by the voice, he entered a small confined doorway in the thick wall. There was an instantaneous flash, and report of a pistol, and Lord Eaglesholme fell backwards, with a groan, upon Handy, who caught him in his arms, Lardal.

Cleaver squeezed past between them and the wall, and boldly entered the doorway, when a se cond pistol was discharged from within, but fortunately without doing injury. By the faint Hight coming through the aperture of an opposite window, he discovered a man standing in a posture of defence, with a drawn sword in his hand. He stopped not to consider, but instantly flew at him with his sabre, and, after a desperate conflict in the dark, in which many blows were spent in vain, he at last succeeded in running his unknown opponent through the heart, with a well directed thrust, as he came between him and the window. The man fell headlong on the pavement. He listened for a minute, until the last shudder of departing life convinced him he had nothing further to dread from his oppo

nent.

The shrieks in the farther corner of the apartment were frequent. Cleaver, addressing Miss * Malcolm, begged of her to fear nothing, for that tshe was now perfectly safe, and he entreated her to compose herself, and remain where she was till lights could be procured. He then hastened to the stair, where he found Bill Handy employed