you can't starve
young women, and treat 'em like dogs and think you're going to have your
wicked way with 'em when and how you please. So now your niece will be
took away from you for ever, and as she's got no particular wish for you
to kiss her 'good-bye,' you can stop here and think over your cowardly
sins and cool your heels a bit--till morning, I hope. And this is my best
friend, Captain Le Cornu, of _The Provider_, and the strongest man in the
Channel Isles. So now you'll know what it feels like to be in mightier
hands than your own, you dirty scoundrel. And if you wasn't so old, I'd
give you a dozen of the best before we go."

Then he turned to the other.

"Trice him up, skipper."

In half a shake Jimmy Fox found himself bound hand and foot to the ferry
bell post. The bell-pull was knotted high out of his reach and a
handkerchief tied pretty tight round his mouth.

Two minute sufficed for this job, because no men knew better than those
how to handle rope.

"'Tis a very good bit of Manila hemp," said the captain of _The Provider_.

"And you can use it to hang yourself when you get free again," added Ted.

Half a minute later they were in the ferry boat and away.

Then it was the turn of Jimmy's lady.

The big man stopped in the boat, and Christie's lover, knowing there was
no time to lose, bustled into the parlour of the 'Passage House,' and
asked Mrs. Fox for the girl.

Whereupon Polly told him to be off, or she'd call her husband to him.

"Give her up, or take the consequences," said Ted, and counting Jimmy
would be back every moment, the woman defied him. Luck was on the sailor's
side, for the house-place happened to be empty and the bar closed for
church hour. So he had it to himself and acted prompt.

"Sorry to touch a woman, though she is a bad old witch that did ought to
be drowned," he said, and with that he popped the creature into a big
armchair and tied her there.

"Now we all know where we are, Mrs. Fox," he said, "and it won't help you
to yowl, because you and your husband are breaking the law and doing a
fearful outrage that might send you both to clink for the rest of your
evil lives, so you'll do best to keep quiet and thank me for saving you
from the wrath to come."

With that he left her, and Alice Chick, who knew all about it and was
hiding outside the door, showed him up to Christie's chamber.

The girl was ready for him, and before I can tell it he had her box on his
back and