old Joe.
He's getting more and more suspicious, though I don't see why it matters
to him. You see, we never go near him now to ask him to take us out
fishing, or into one of the west bays to shell, and he thinks we have
something else on the way."

"Well, so we have, and--Hullo, Joe! you there?"

"Yes, young gentleman, I'm here," said Daygo gruffly, as he suddenly
came upon them in a little opening in the wood. "I thought you'd gone
down to the west bays."

"Well, we did think of going; but it's cooler and more shady here. The
sun does come down so strongly there under the cliffs. Seen any
rabbits?"

"Two on 'em," said the man; "but you won't ketch them. Dog couldn't do
it, let alone you. Ounce o' shot's only thing I know that runs fast
enough to ketch them."

It was an awkward predicament, and both lads had the same feeling that
they would like to go off at once in another direction, only that they
shrank from leaving the old fisherman, for fear he should find the way
down into the caves.

They wandered on in his company for a few minutes, and then Vince took
the initiative and cried,--

"I say, I'm sick of this; it's dreadful. Come out on the common
somewhere, so that we can get down to the sea."

"I don't think you can get down anywhere near here. Can you, Joe?"
asked Mike.

"Oh yes," said the old man; "easy enough. I'll show you a place if you
like."

"Come on, then!" cried Vince eagerly.

"Off here, then," said Daygo; "on'y I ought to tell you that you won't
enjy yourselves, for it'll take Doctor Burnet all his time to pull you
both together again."

The old fellow burst into a fit of chuckling at this, and looked from
one to the other, thoroughly enjoying their disgusted looks.

"There, I knew he was making fun of us. Of course there's no way down,"
grumbled Mike. "Come on out of this scrimble-scramble place. What's
the good of tiring ourselves for the sake of seeing a rabbit's white
cotton tail."

Vince was about to follow his companion, but turned to shout after
Daygo.

"I say, when are you going to take us fishing again?"

"When you two young gents likes to come; on'y you've both been so mortal
proud lately. Never come anigh to me, and as to wanting a ride in a
boat, not you. Got one of your own somewheres, I suppose. Hev yer?"

Mike shook his head, and they went on in silence for a few minutes
before Mike whispered,--

"What shall we do: creep back and watch him?"

"N