ayment from my father, and this other money
used to be sent to a bank.

The mine was fairly productive, but I knew that my father had been
compelled to borrow a good deal, and this preyed upon his mind so much
that one day he said to me:

"Sep, I think I shall be obliged to sell the Gap, with the mine and all
it holds. I don't like this life of debt, and the prospect of years of
toil before I can clear it off."

"But it would be such a pity, father," I exclaimed.

"It would, my boy, but I am not so sanguine as I was. That terrible
night shook me a great deal, and if it were not for the thought of you I
should give up at once."

He repeated this to me two or three times, and it made a very unpleasant
impression that troubled me a very great deal.

Bob Chowne, who was shortly going up to London to study at one of the
hospitals, came over one evening, and we all three, as in the old days,
had tea at the smuggler's cottage, Mother Bonnet beaming upon us, and
never looking so pleased as when we wanted more of one of her home-made
loaves.

Then after tea we decided, as the sea was so calm, to have a few hours'
fishing, and taking the boat we rowed out as far as the Goat and Kids,
the grapnel was thrown out, and we began to fish.

It was a glorious evening, and we took rock-whiting, pout, and small
conger at such a rate that I cried, "Hold, enough!"

"No, no, keep on," said Bob Chowne. "Let's see how many we can catch."

"It will be a good feast for the work-people," said Bigley, as I
hesitated; and knowing how glad they all were of a bit of fish I turned
to again, throwing in my baited hooks, and hauling in the fine fellows
every minute or two.

But at last the darkness forbade further work, so the lines were
reeled-up, the fish counted over into the two baskets, and Bigley
proceeded to haul up the grapnel.

The intention was good, but the grapnel refused to be hauled up. The
boat's bows were dragged right over it, and Bigley stood up and tugged
till the boat was perceptibly pulled down, but not an inch would the
grapnel budge.

"It has got between a couple of rocks, I suppose," said Bigley.

"Here, stand aside!" cried Bob Chowne, "let the doctor come."

He caught hold of the stout line, stood in Bigley's place, and hauled
till his wrists ached.

"Here, come and pull, Sep," he cried; and I joined him and hauled, but
in vain.

Then we changed the position of the boat, and dragged and jerked in one
di