ies, some of them
dry, and many filled with water, while others were filled at high
tide, and left empty when the tides fell.

"O how beautiful! and what a place for smugglers!" was Minnie's
enthusiastic exclamation on first catching sight of the bay.

"The smugglers and you would appear to be of one mind," said Ruby,
"for they are particularly fond of this place."

"So fond of it," said the lieutenant, "that I mean to wait for them
here in anticipation of a moonlight visit this night, if my fair
passenger will consent to wander in such wild places at such late
hours, guarded from the night air by my boat-cloak, and assured of
the protection of my stout boatmen in case of any danger, although
there is little prospect of our meeting with any greater danger than
a breeze or a shower of rain."

Minnie said that she would like nothing better; that she did not mind
the night air; and, as to danger from men, she felt that she should
be well cared for in present circumstances.

As she uttered the last words she naturally glanced at Ruby, for
Minnie was of a dependent and trusting nature; but as Ruby happened
to be regarding her intently, though quite accidentally, at the
moment, she dropped her eyes and blushed.

It is wonderful the power of a little glance at times. The glance
referred to made Ruby perfectly happy. It conveyed to him the
assurance that Minnie regarded the protection of the entire boat's
crew, including the lieutenant, as quite unnecessary, and that she
deemed his single arm all that she required or wanted.

The sun was just dipping behind the tall cliffs, and his parting rays
were kissing the top of Minnie's head as if they positively could not
help it, and had recklessly made up their mind to do it, come what
might!

Ruby looked at the golden light kissing the golden hair, and he
felt----

Oh! you know, reader; if you have ever been in similar circumstances,
you _understand_ what he felt; if you have not, no words from me, or
from any other man, can ever convey to you the most distant idea of
_what_ Ruby felt on that occasion!

On reaching the shore they all went up to the green banks at the foot
of the cliffs, and turned round to watch the men as they pulled the
boat to a convenient point for re-embarking at a moment's notice.

"You see," said the lieutenant, pursuing a conversation which he had
been holding with the captain, "I have been told that Big Swankie,
and his mate Davy Spink (who, i