hat?"

"It is right, sare," said Jacques quietly. "I took ze boys avay and
kept them as prisonaire."

"Absurd!" said the lieutenant haughtily. "Now then: away with that
boat. Smart there, my lads!"

The boat was rowed rapidly back to fetch the rest of the prisoners, and
the lieutenant came forward to where his first batch was ranged, to
inspect them previous to sending them below.

"You're not going to send us down with them, are you?" said Mike
indignantly.

"What?" roared the lieutenant in a rage: "why, you insolent, ruffianly
young thief of a smuggler!"

"No, he isn't," cried Vince fiercely; "he's as much a gentleman as you
are."

"Indeed!" said the lieutenant sarcastically: "perhaps he's a nobleman,
sir?"

"I don't mean that," said Vince sharply; "but he's Sir Francis Ladelle's
son."

"What, of the Crag?"

"Yes. We found out the smugglers' cave by accident, and they came and
caught us, and have kept us ever since."

"Phew!" whistled the officer, quite changing his manner. "Then pray who
are you?"

"I'm Doctor Burnet's son."

"Oh, then of course that alters the case, my lad; but you see you were
caught amongst the jackdaws, so you must not wonder that I wanted to
wring your neck too."

"Oh, it's all right if you believe me," said Vince; "only, after being
prisoners so long, it seemed precious hard to be treated as prisoners
when we expected to be free to get home."

"Then this scoundrel took you both, and has brutally ill-used you ever
since?"

Vince looked round sharply, found the captain's piercing eyes fixed on
his, and hesitated.

"Oh no," he said; "he caught us, and wouldn't let us go for fear we
should tell where his stores of smuggled goods are, but he has behaved
very well to us ever since."

"Like a gentleman," put in Mike.

"Indeed! Well, then we mustn't be so hard on him. So then, young
gentlemen, you two know where the smugglers' depot is?"

Vince nodded.

"And you could show us the way?"

Vince nodded again.

"Well, then, you'll have the pleasure of being our guide there as soon
as we've taken that confounded schooner."

"No, I shall not," said Vince, looking hard at Jacques. "I don't feel
as if it would be fair."

"But you'll have to, my lad, in the King's name."

"Yais, you can promise to show zem every sing, _mon ami_" said Jacques,
smiling. "My smuggling days are ovaire, and I have been expecting zis
every day zese ten years."

"Very well, then," said