Beyond a doubt, they were drawing nearer to the place from which the sounds came.

This stimulated them all the more, so that they hurried on faster.

The edge of the cliff was not covered by any trees, but the ground at its summit had been cleared, so that progress was not at all difficult.  They therefore did not take much time in traversing the space that intervened between the spot where they had first heard the cry, and the point where the cliff terminated.  The cry grew steadily louder, all the way, until at last, when they approached the point, it seemed to come directly from beneath.

The cliff here was perpendicular for about forty feet down, and below this it seemed to retreat, so that nothing could be seen.  The tide was on the ebb; but it was still so high that its waves beat below them, and seemed to strike the base of the rock.  Beyond, on the right, there was a sloping ledge, which descended from the cliffs into the sea, over which the waves were now playing.

It was from the hollow and unseen recess down at the foot of the cliff that the cry seemed to arise, which had come in response to the calls of those on the summit.  On reaching the place above, they knelt down, and looked over, but were not able to distinguish any human being, or any sign of the presence of one.  But as they looked anxiously over, the cry arose, not very loud, but quite distinct now, and assured them that this was the place which sheltered the one who had uttered that cry.

Captain Corbet now thrust his head over as far as he could, and gave a call in his loudest voice.

“Hal-lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!”

To which there came up in answer a cry that sounded like—­

“Hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i!”

“Solomo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-on!”

“He-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-ey!”

“Is that yo-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ou?”

“It’s me-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!”

“Where are y-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ou?”

“He-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-re!”

“Come u-u-u-u-u-u-u-up!”

“Ca-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-n’t!”

“Why no-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ot?”

“Too hi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-gh!”

“Go round the pi-i-i-i-i-i-nt!”

“Too high ti-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-de!”

“Wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-it!”

“All ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght!”

Captain Corbet now sprang up as nimbly as a young lad, and looked at Phil and Pat with an expression of such exceeding triumph, that his face seemed fairly to shine.

“It is Solomon!” he cried.  But it was of no use for him to convey that piece of information to the boys, who already knew that fact quite as well as he did.

“It is Solomon,” he repeated; “an now the pint is, how air we to git him up?”

“Let me go down,” said Pat.

“How?”

“Sure an I can git down wid that bit o’ rope you have.”

“Mebbe you can, an then agin mebbe you can’t; but s’posin you was to git down, how upon airth would that help the matter?”