man Gaffin and his son out of
the way," he remarked. "As soon as Harry returns we will see what can
be done. In the meantime I will ride down to the cottage and ascertain
that your young friend has reached it in safety, and will wait to escort
her back."

He soon caught sight of her at about half-way to Adam's cottage. At the
same moment a person resembling the man who had spoken to him on the
previous night appeared and seemed about to address May, who quickened
her pace, when catching sight of Headland he apparently thought better
of it and advanced to meet him.

"Good-day, Captain Headland," said the man, looking up at him with cool
assurance. "Your friend, Mr Harry Castleton, will have a long chase
after the lugger, a wild goose chase I suspect it will prove. I have
been enquiring into the truth of the story you heard, and I find that it
was spread by a wretched old mad woman whom the people about here take
to be a witch. The sooner she is ducked in the sea, and proved to be an
ordinary mortal who has lost her senses, the better. It is disagreeable
for a man in my position to have his character belied in this way."

"We certainly heard a story from a mad woman, but she spoke in a way
which led us to suppose she described an actual occurrence," said
Headland. "From what you say I conclude you are Mr Gaffin who
addressed me last night."

"The same at your service, Captain Headland. I have no further
questions to ask, however, since you can give me no account of my old
shipmate; I am sorry to hear of his death; good-day to you, sir," and
Gaffin moved on, taking the direction of the mill.

This last interview left a still more unfavourable impression on
Headland's mind of Mr Miles Gaffin. He did not like the expression of
the man's countenance or the impudent swagger of his manner; while it
was evident by the way he talked that he was a person of some education.
Headland tried to recollect whether he had before seen him, or whether
his old protector had ever mentioned his name.

As he rode on slowly, keeping May in sight, he suddenly recollected the
description Jack Headland had given him of the mate of the ship on board
which he had been placed by his supposed father, when a child. "Can
that man in any way be connected with my history?" he thought. "He
certainly must have known poor Jack Headland; he had some motive,
possibly, in speaking of him."

The more he thought the more puzzled he became. Th