tablishment;
for he roomed in Mother McKay's cottage on the hill, back of the city,
and Mother McKay kept a shebeen. To-day, however, Dick had felt that he
could stand no more of Mother McKay's liquor nor of the honest dame's
society, either. The rum was weak and harsh and the society was
distracting to his thoughts. What he wanted was matured liquor and
quiet, so that he might nail down his somewhat vague plans of returning
to Chance Along and overthrowing the skipper thereof. The hour was that
of the evening dusk. He was alone in this particular room of the _Ship
Ahoy Hotel_, but he could hear the voices of other imbibers barking and
rolling from an adjoining apartment. He gulped down half of his rum and
lit his pipe. The proprietor entered then, threw a lump of coal on the
fire and lit a ship's lantern that hung from the middle rafter. Next
moment, the outer door opened, and a man entered from the muddy street,
his sou'easter, oilskin coat and ruddy young face all agleam with
moisture.

"Good evenin' to ye, Mister Darlin'," said the proprietor. "Foul
weather, bain't it, sir?"

"Aye, Jake, foul weather it is," returned the young man, throwing aside
his dripping hat. "Bring me whiskey,--hot, with a slice of lemon in it
and a lump of sugar."

Jake departed, and Mr. Darling sat down beside the fire and pulled a
short wooden pipe from an inner pocket. In repose, his young,
clean-shaven face wore an expression of gravity that verged upon the
dismal. He filled his pipe with cut tobacco from a leather bag, lit it
and then glanced at Dick Lynch through a puff of twisting blue smoke.
He caught Dick's eyes full upon him, for that worthy had been staring at
him ever since he had removed his dripping sou'easter. He removed his
pipe from his mouth and leaned forward.

"Hullo!" he said. "I'll swear this isn't the first time I've seen that
black mug of yours, my man! But it wasn't in St. John's--an' it wasn't
aboard any ship."

Dick Lynch was of the same way of thinking, for he recognized this young
man as the officer from the _Durham Castle_, who had commanded the party
that had been left behind by Captain McTavish to guard the wreck of that
good ship. He took another swig at his glass and shifted his eyes to the
fire.

"Sure, sir, ye may be right," he said. "Was it in Harbor Grace ye seed
me?"

"No. I have never set foot in Harbor Grace," returned Mr. Darling.

"That bes my home, sir--Harbor Grace," lied Dick, cheerfull