learemout then made
for the shore with the intention of giving himself up, and Maggot
followed, but he was not equal in swimming to the managing director,
whose long steady strokes easily took him beyond the reach of his
pursuer. He reached the shore, and stalked slowly out of the water. At
the same moment Maggot sank and disappeared.

The consternation of his comrades was so great that in the confusion
their prisoner was unheeded. Some sprang into the sea and dived after
Maggot; others swam to the boat, intending to right it and get the
boat-hooks.

Suddenly those who had remained on the beach observed something creep
out of the sea near to some rocks a little to the right of the place
where they stood. They ran towards it.

"Hallo! is that you, old Maggot?" they cried.

It was indeed the valiant smith himself! How he got there no one ever
knew, nor could himself tell. It was conjectured that he must have
become partially exhausted, and, after sinking, had crept along the
bottom to the shore! However, be that as it may, there he was, lying
with his arm lovingly round a rock, and the first thing he said on
looking up was,--"Aw! my dear men, has any of 'ee got a chaw of baccy
about 'ee?"

This was of course received with a shout of laughter, and unlimited
offers of quids while they assisted him to rise.

Meanwhile Tregarthen was attending to Rose, who had swooned when
Clearemout dropped her. He also kept a watch over the prisoner, who,
however, showed no intention of attempting to escape, but sat on a stone
with his face buried in his hands.

The men soon turned their attention to him again, and some of the more
violent were advancing to seize him, with many terrible threats of
further vengeance, when Rose ran between them, and entreated them to
spare him.

Tregarthen seconded the proposal, and urged that as he had got pretty
severe punishment already, they should set him free. This being agreed
to, Charlie turned to the managing director, and said, with a look of
pity, "You may go, sir, but, be assured, it is not for your own sake
that we let you off. You know pretty well what the result would be if
we chose to deliver you up to justice; we care more, however, for the
feelings of this lady--whose name would be unavoidably and disagreeably
brought before the public at the trial--than we care for your getting
your merited reward. But, mark me, if you ever open your lips on the
subject, you shall not