sneered Bob. "I know."

"That you don't," said Bigley quietly; "even I don't."

"No!" sneered Bob; "you never know anything. People at Ripplemouth do.
He has gone on a jolly good smuggling trip, I know."

I saw Bigley's eyes flash, and for a moment I thought that he was going
to say something harsh, and that we were going to have a quarrel through
Bob Chowne's propensity for saying disagreeable things; but just then I
happened to turn my head and saw a boat coming round the western corner
of the entrance to the Gap.

"Why, there's father!" I cried. "Where can he have been!"

That exclamation changed the conversation from what was a terribly
touchy point with Bigley, who always felt it acutely if anyone hinted
that his father indulged in smuggling.

"I know," said Bob Chowne, changing his attack so that it was directed
upon me. "Well, if my father was so precious selfish as to get a boat
and go out fishing without me, I should kick up a row."

"Why, you are always making rows without," I said testily. "My father
has not been fishing, I'm sure."

"There he goes again," cried Bob in an ill-used tone. "That's Sep
Duncan all over. I say, Big, he was trying to pick a quarrel with me up
on the cliff when you came, and I wouldn't. Now he's at it again."

"Well, I sha'n't stop to quarrel now," I replied. "Come on down and
meet father."

We were a good three hundred feet above the shore when I spoke, and
starting off the others joined me, and we went down over the crumbling
slates and then past the pebble ridge to where the little river bubbled
up again through the stones before it reached the sea, and then in and
out among the rocks, to stand and wait till my father rowed in.

"Ah, boys," he cried, as the boat grounded, and we dragged it up over a
smooth patch of sand, "you are just in time to help."

"Been fishing, father?" I said.

"No; only on a little bit of investigation along the coast; but I found
I had not time as it was drill day. There, make the boat fast to the
buoy line, and let's get up to the mine, and we'll all go this afternoon
when the drill's over."

"This afternoon?" I said eagerly.

"Yes; the weather's lovely and warm, and you fellows can row me."

I felt ready to toss up my hat and cheer, and I saw that Bigley was
ready to do the same; but we both felt that we were getting too old, so
we refrained.

"I'm afraid I can't go, Captain Duncan," said Bob in an ill-used way.
"My f