you did do something, my lad," said my father, holding out his
hand--"a very risky something. But there, I'm not going to say any more
about it. Now, tell me; your father has given you some instructions, I
suppose?"

Bigley hesitated a moment.

"Yes, sir; he said that he should not be able to come back here, but he
would write to me."

"Yes; go on."

"And that I was to stay with Mother Bonnet as long as you would let me,
and when you turned us out, we were to take lodgings in Ripplemouth."

"When I turned you out!" said my father angrily. "Pish! Ah, well, stop
till I turn you out then. There, I must go now, Sep; this will be a
broken day for you. Bring your two friends over to the Bay, and we'll
have tea and dinner all together."

He turned off and left us, but I saw him give Bigley a very friendly nod
and smile as he went away, and I felt sure that he rather admired what
Bigley had done, though he kept up the idea of being very fierce and
indignant with him for striking an officer of the royal navy.

As soon as we were well alone Bob Chowne threw himself on the ground and
began to laugh and wipe his eyes.

"Oh, what a game!" he cried, as he rolled about. "Didn't old Big run?"

"Enough to make anybody run when a bullet was after him," I said.

"But how he did go up the rocks. Just like a big rabbit. I say, Big,
you were frightened."

"Yes, that I was," said Bigley frankly; "I don't know when I felt so
scared. Made sure he would hit me, and then that the sailors would cut
me down with their swords."

This disappointed Bob, who had fully expected to hear a denial of the
charge of fear, and he sat up and stared at the speaker, who turned to
me then.

"Why, Sep," he said, "they must have worked hard in the night to get all
those things away. Do you know, I'm sure that must have been the
_Hirondelle_. I wonder how they managed to get off."

"I know," I said suddenly.

"Yah! Not you," cried Bob. "Hark at old cock Solomon, who knows
everything."

"I don't care what you say," I replied. "I'm sure this is how they've
got away."

"Well, let's hear," said Bob, and Bigley's eyes flashed with eagerness.

"Why, they haven't got away at all," I said. "They wouldn't dare to go
down Channel after getting the cargo out of the cave, for fear of
meeting the cutter just at daybreak."

"And you think they've gone up towards Bristol?" cried Bigley excitedly.

"Yes," I said; "and they are lying up som