they?"

Dick had followed the master's look, as he shaded his eyes and stared
over the green slope which led up to the cliffs.

"What?"

"Chucked him off yonder."

Gurr glanced round to see if the men were looking, and then said rather
huskily but kindly,--

"In ord'nary, Dick, my lad, no; but when smugglers finds themselves up
in corners where they can't get away, they turns and fights like rats,
and when they fights they bites."

"Ah!" ejaculated Dick sadly.

"You're only a common sailor, Dick, and I'm your officer, but though I
speak sharp unto you, I respect you, Dick, for you like that lad."

"Say, Mester Gurr, sir, which thankful I am to you for speaking so; but
you don't really think as he has come to harm?"

"I hope not, Dick; I hope not; but smugglers don't stand at anything
sometimes."

Dick sighed, and then all at once he spat in his fist, rubbed his hands
together and clenched them, a hard, fierce aspect coming into his rough
dark face, which seemed to promise severe retaliation if anything had
happened to the young officer.

There was nowhere else to search as far as Gurr could see, save the
little farm in the hollow, and the black-looking stone house up on the
hill among the trees.

Gurr, who looked wonderfully bull-dog like in aspect, made straight for
the farm, where the first person he encountered was Mrs Shackle, who,
innocent enough, poor woman, came to the door to bob a curtsey to the
king's men, while Jemmy Dadd, who was slowly loading a tumbril in whose
shafts was the sleepy grey horse, stuck his fork down into the heap of
manure from the cow-sheds, rested his hands on the top and his chin upon
his hands, to stare and grin at the sailors he recognised.

"Morning, marm," said Gurr; "sorry to trouble you, but--"

"Oh, sir," interrupted Mrs Shackle, "surely you are not going to tumble
over my house again! I do assure you there's nothing here but what you
may see."

"If you'd let me finish, you'd know," said Gurr gruffly. "One of our
boys is missing. Seen him up here? Boy 'bout seventeen with a red
cap."

"No, sir; indeed I've not."

"Don't know as he has been seen about here, do you?" said Gurr, looking
at her searchingly.

"No, sir."

"Haven't heard any one talking about him, eh? Come ashore yesterday."

Mrs Shackle shook her head.

"Thank ye!--No, Dick," continued the master, turning back to where the
men were waiting, and unconsciously brushing against the bush be