Theconvalescenceoftheyounginvalidwasregularlyprogressing.Onethingonlywasnowtobedesired,thathisstatewouldallowhimtobebroughttoGraniteHouse.Howeverwellbuiltandsuppliedthecorralhousewas,itcouldnotbesocomfortableasthehealthygranitedwelling.Besides,itdidnotofferthesamesecurity,anditstenants,notwithstandingtheirwatchfulness,wereherealwaysinfearofsomeshotfromtheconvicts.There,onthecontrary,inthemiddleofthatimpregnableandinaccessiblecliff,theywouldhavenothingtofear,andanyattackontheirpersonswouldcertainlyfail.TheythereforewaitedimpatientlyforthemomentwhenHerbertmightbemovedwithoutdangerfromhiswound,andtheyweredeterminedtomakethismove,althoughthecommunicationthroughJacamarWoodwasverydifficult.

           TheyhadnonewsfromNeb,butwerenotuneasyonthataccount.ThecourageousNegro,wellentrenchedinthedepthsofGraniteHouse,wouldnotallowhimselftobesurprised.Tophadnotbeensentagaintohim,asitappeareduselesstoexposethefaithfuldogtosomeshotwhichmightdeprivethesettlersoftheirmostusefulauxiliary.

           Theywaited,therefore,althoughtheywereanxioustobereunitedatGraniteHouse.Itpainedtheengineertoseehisforcesdivided,foritgavegreatadvantagetothepirates.SinceAyrton’sdisappearancetheywereonlyfouragainstfive,forHerbertcouldnotyetbecounted,andthiswasnottheleastcareofthebraveboy,whowellunderstoodthetroubleofwhichhewasthecause.