enjoy himself.

"Well, Ruby, where was I? O ay; what's to hinder you goin' and gettin'
employed in the Bell Rock workyard? There's plenty to do, and good
wages there."

It may be as well to inform the reader here, that although the
operations at the Bell Rock had come to an end for the season about the
beginning of October, the work of hewing the stones for the lighthouse
was carried on briskly during the winter at the workyard on shore; and
as the tools, etcetera, required constant sharpening and mending, a
blacksmith could not be dispensed with.

"Do you think I can get in again?" enquired Ruby.

"No doubt of it, lad. But the question is, are ye willin' to go if
they'll take you?"

"Quite willing, uncle."

"Good: then that's all square, an' I knows how to lay my course--up
anchor to-morrow mornin', crowd all sail, bear down on the workyard,
bring-to off the countin'-room, and open fire on the superintendent."

The captain paused at this point, and opened fire with his pipe for some
minutes.

"Now," he continued, "there's another thing I want to ax you. I'm goin'
to-morrow afternoon to take a cruise along the cliffs to the east'ard in
the preventive boat, just to keep up my sea legs. They've got scent o'
some smugglin' business that's goin' on, an' my friend Leftenant Lindsay
has asked me to go. Now, Ruby, if you want a short cruise of an hour or
so you may come with me."

Ruby smiled at the manner in which this offer was made, and replied:

"With pleasure, uncle."

"So, then, that's settled too. Good night, nephy."

The captain turned on his side, and dropped the pipe on the floor, where
it was shivered to atoms.

It must not be supposed that this was accidental.

It was done on purpose. Captain Ogilvy had found from experience that
it was not possible to stretch out his arm to its full extent and lay
the pipe on the chimney-piece, without waking himself up just at that
critical moment when sleep was consenting to be wooed. He also found
that on the average he broke one in every four pipes that he thus
attempted to deposit. Being a philosophical and practical man, he came
to the conclusion that it would be worth while to pay something for the
comfort of being undisturbed at the minute of time that lay between the
conclusion of smoking and the commencement of repose. He therefore got
a sheet of foolscap and a pencil, and spent a whole forenoon in abstruse
calculations. He ascertained the