“What is it,” said Red in a whisper, “what is this fire in the head, that will not let me rest?” I glanced across at him; but it was not to me that he was speaking.

Toward dawn, we both fell into an exhausted sleep. It was as well that, when the first rays of sunlight began to spread across the sky, it was one of his own that found us, and not Seamus’s men. I came to with a start, and was getting shakily to my feet, and so was he, but more slowly because of his leg; we had both been woken by a rustling in the bushes outside. There was scarcely time for thought. Then we heard the call of a seabird, very close by; and Red amazed me by cupping his hands to his mouth and echoing the same call. It was a signal; and a minute later a figure with flaxen hair, with stained traveling clothes and well-worn boots, appeared in the cave mouth, parting the greenery to step rather breathlessly inside.

“A steep climb,” said Ben, for it was the Briton’s companion, bending now to catch his breath, hands on knees. And after him, the other man, John. He looked at me, then at Red, his expression quizzical.

“You’ve still got her, then,” he observed.

Red frowned. “I told you to go on without me,” he said. “What of Redbeard and his men? Were you not pursued?”

Ben grinned. “We were; but we’re quick and quiet, and we had a few tricks up our sleeve. There was a small problem in the cove, but nothing we couldn’t handle.”

“I told you to go on without us,” repeated Red. It sounded as if he didn’t like being disobeyed. Myself, I had never been so pleased to see anyone as I was those two. At least now there was some chance of getting him down the cliff in one piece, even with that leg.

“We stood offshore overnight,” said John, sounding not the least apologetic.

“Rough enough to turn your guts inside out, it was,” added Ben picturesquely. “So here we are. You may want to kill yourself being a hero, but don’t expect us to help you.”

“The boat’s waiting under the rocks down below,” said John. “I’d say we’ve time enough before full dawn; with luck we be away before they’re stirring. But we need to move now, and quickly. Lucky we found you so soon.” Red said nothing, but fumbled for his pack, and limped forward.

“Wonderful,” said Ben, looking at the makeshift bandage, and at Red’s face. “Just how did you expect to get away without us? You wouldn’t have made it halfway down this track; it’s steep as a church roof and crumbling away.”

“We’d have managed,” said Red. His companions looked at me, and at each other, but no more was said.

As we left the cave, I looked around for the remains of the candle, for its herbal scent still hung lightly on the morning air. But I was too late. It was Red who bent, awkwardly, to lift the small remnant of beeswax from the rock, to hold it in his hand a moment, before slipping it into a pocket.