at the tide was rising, and that he had
no time to lose.

"There's nae place behint the rocks," said he quickly, putting the
brooch in his pocket, "so we'll just hide the kegs amang the stanes.
Lucky for us that we got the rest o' the cargo run ashore at Auchmithie.
This'll lie snugly here, and we'll pull past the leftenant, who thinks
we havena seen him, with oor heeds up and oor tongues in oor cheeks."

They both chuckled heartily at the idea of disappointing the preventive
officer, and while one held the torch the other dug a hole in the beach
deep enough to contain the two kegs.

"In ye go, my beauties," said Swankie, covering them up. "Mony's the
time I've buried ye."

"Ay, an' mony's the time ye've helped at their resurrection," added
Spink, with a laugh.

"Noo, we'll away an' have a look at the kegs in the Forbidden Cave,"
said Swankie, "see that they're a' richt, an' then have our game wi' the
land-sharks."

Next moment the torch was dashed against the stones and extinguished,
and the two men, leaping into their boat, rowed away. As they passed
through the outer cavern, Ruby heard them arrange to go back to
Auchmithie. Their voices were too indistinct to enable him to ascertain
their object in doing so, but he knew enough of the smugglers to enable
him to guess that it was for the purpose of warning some of their
friends of the presence of the preventive boat, which their words proved
that they had seen.

"Now, Minnie," said he, starting up as soon as the boat had disappeared,
"this is what I call good luck, for not only shall we be able to return
with something to the boat, but we shall be able to intercept big
Swankie and his comrade, and offer them a glass of their own gin!"

"Yes, and I shall be able to boast of having had quite a little
adventure," said Minnie, who, now that her anxiety was ever, began to
feel elated.

They did not waste time in conversation, however, for the digging up of
two kegs from a gravelly beach with fingers instead of a spade was not a
quick or easy thing to do; so Ruby found as he went down on his knees in
that dark place and began the work.

"Can I help you?" asked his fair companion after a time.

"Help me! What? Chafe and tear your little hands with work that all
but skins mine? Nay, truly. But here comes one, and the other will
soon follow. Yo, heave, _Ho_!"

With the well-known nautical shout Ruby put forth an herculean effort,
and tore the kegs out of