Page:Hornung - Irralies Bushranger.djvu/110

 to unscrew one of the nuts with which the sheets of iron were bolted together.

"Here—George!" cried Irralie, without a thought.

He came running up; but, ere he reached her, the shirt-sleeve had been whipped in, and something else had happened too. The girl was sorry she had called him.

"He'll escape!" she cried. "I will tell you how." She lowered her voice and pointed to the aperture. It was open. Could he not escape by that.

"Never!" he whispered. "Your young brothers couldn't."

"No? Yes, I see you're right. I must be nervous: I won't tackle the pines after all."

She followed him back through the cut, and as she did so a voice, low and bitter, came through the iron walls.

"Thank you. Miss Villiers!" it said. "I call that kind!"