seem to mind it a bit."

"Don't I?" said Vince quietly; "but I do. Every time I see one of those
little jelly-fish sailing along there, it makes me think of the light in
our window at home--the one mother always puts there when I'm up at your
place, so that I may see it from ever so far along the road. Father
always jokes about it, and says it's nonsense, but she puts it there all
the same; and it's there now, Mike, for she's sure to say I may have
been carried out to sea in some boat and be coming back to-night."

"Oh, don't--don't!" groaned Mike: "it seems too horrid to hear."

"Hush! what's that?" said Vince. "Only a seabird calling somewhere off
the water."

"No, it isn't," whispered Vince. "One of the men wouldn't have answered
a seabird like that. It's a boat coming from somewhere out yonder."

"No boat would come through such a dark night, with all these dangerous
currents among the rocks."

But a minute later a boat did glide out of the darkness, a rope was
thrown over the bulwarks, made fast, and as a man climbed over on to the
deck the captain came out of his cabin and went forward to where the
fresh comer was standing.

It was so dark that they could not make out what he was like, but in the
stillness every word spoken could be heard; and they recognised the
voice directly, as, in answer to a growl from the captain about being
late, the man said,--"Been here long enough ago, Skipper Jarks, if it
had been any good, but she don't rise to it to-night. I've been hanging
about ever so long, but she don't touch what she should. There won't be
enough water for you on the rocks to-night by a foot."

"_Peste_!" ejaculated the captain; "and I vant to go. But after an
hour, vat den?"

"Be just as she is now, skipper. Wind's been agen it since sundown, and
kep' the water back: you won't get off to-night."

"Bah!" ejaculated the captain angrily; but he changed his manner
directly: "Ah, vell, my friend Daygo, ve must vait, eh? You vill stay
vis me here?"

"Nay," said the man. "I'll have to go back. I'm cruising about round
the island a-looking for them two young shavers."

The captain turned his head sharply round and looked aft; but, keen as
his sea-going eyes were, the presence of the boys passed unnoticed, and,
probably concluding that they were farther aft, the captain said in a
lower tone, but still perfectly audible.

"Dey look for zem?"

"Look for 'em? The whole island's been at it 'bo