issed them, adding at the last moment a word or two of reminder to
Dickinson as to his promise for the following Sunday, which he
emphasised with a hearty shake of the hand.

The boatswain's mate walked away down to the boat silently and in a
seemingly dazed condition, holding up his right hand before him, turning
it over, and looking at it as though he had never seen it before. He
never opened his lips until the boat was in mid-channel, when, resting
on his oar for a moment, he said--

"Well, shipmates, you've heard me say to-day words that I wouldn't have
believed this morning I could find courage to say to any human being.
Now, I'm not ashamed of 'em--I won't go back from a single word--but you
know as well as I do what a rumpus there'd be if it got to be known that
there'd been said what's been said this arternoon. I don't care about
myself, not a single curse; you and as many more fools as choose can
laugh at me until you're all tired; but mind--I won't have a word said
about _them_; if this gets abroad they'll be made uncomfortable, and _I
won't have it_--D'ye hear, mates, I WON'T HAVE IT. The first man that
says a word about it--well"--with a powerful effort to curb his
passion--"the best thing he can do is to take to the water and swim
right out to sea; for the sharks 'll be more marciful to him than I
will."

"All right, matey, all right," good-humouredly answered one of the men,
"you needn't threaten us--no occasion for that; we're not going to split
on yer, old man; perhaps, if the truth was knowed, there's others
besides yourself as don't feel pertickler comfortable about this here
piratin' business--I won't mention no names--and anyhow you may trust
_me_ not to say a word about what we've heard to-day upon it; and
there's my hand upon it."

"And mine."

"And mine."

The proffered hands were silently grasped with fervour; and then the
oars were resumed and the boat sped on her way to the shipyard.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

LOST!

When the three ladies entered Staunton Cottage they were greatly
surprised to find Captain Staunton and Lance there, both busy scraping
lint; and still more surprised to see Dale bending over a fire with his
coat off, diligently stirring the contents of a small tin saucepan.

May was the first to throw any light upon the situation, which she did,
directly the door opened, by rushing up to her mother and exclaiming
excitedly--

"Oh, mama! what do you think? I fell int