t, I can't see."

"Why, because thou'rt blind," said Harry.

"No, hang it, and if I be, master," replied the other; "I can see as
far as most o' folks, as ye can testify; and I dow see plain enough,
that if we put to sea now, we shall hae the cutter after us; and that
would be what I call only leading the shark to where the salmon lay."

"Man, I wonder to hear thee," said Harry; "folk wad say thou hadst nae
mair gumption than a born fool. Do ye think I wad be such an ass as
to send out spies in the face o' the enemy? Hae I had a run o' gud
luck for twenty years, and yet ye think me nae better general than
that comes to? I said, nae doubt, that we should gang to sea to meet
the lugger, though there will be a squall, and a heavy one, too,
before night, as sure as I'm telling ye; but I didna say that we
should dow sae under the bows o' the cutter, in our awn boat, or out
o' Embleton."

"Right, right, master," said another, "no more you did. Ned isn't half
awake."

The name of the fisherman alluded to was Ned Thomson.

"Well, Ned, my lad," continued Harry, "I tell thee what must be done:
I shall go saddle my old nag, get thou a horse from thy wife's
father--he has two, and can spare one--and let us jog on as fast as we
can for Blyth; but we mustn't keep by the coast, lest the king's folk
get their eyes upon us. So away, get ready, lad, set out as quick as
thee can--few are astir yet. I won't wait on thee, and thou won't wait
on me; but whoever comes first to Felton Brig shall just place two
bits o' stones about the middle--on the parapet I think they ca' it;
but it is the dyke on each side o' the brig I mean, ye knaw. Put them
on the left-hand side in gaun alang, down the water; or if they're
there when ye come up, ye'll ken that I'm afore ye. So get ready,
lad--quick as ever ye can. Tell the awd man naething about what ye
want wi' the horse--the fewer that knaw onything about thir things the
better. And ye, lads, will be upon the look-out; and, if we can get
the lugger run in here, have a'thing in readiness."

"No fear o' that, master," said they.

"Well, sir," said Ned, "I'll be ready in a trap-stick, but I knaw the
awd chap will kick up a sang about lendin his horse."

"Tell him I'll pay for it, if ye break its legs," said Harry.

The crew of the boat laughed, and some of them said--"Nobody will
doubt that, master--you are able enough to do it."

It must be observed that, since Harry had ceased to go regular