ou
think."

"Eh! how? what mean you?" exclaimed the officer, with an expression
of surprise, for he knew that Ruby was now in his power. "I have you
safe, my lad, unless you have provided yourself with a pair of wings.
Of course, I shall leave one of you to take your boat into harbour,
but you may be sure that I'll not devolve that pleasant duty upon
you."

"_I_ have not provided myself with wings exactly," returned Ruby,
pulling out his medal and ticket; "but here is something that will do
quite as well"

The officer's countenance fell, for he knew at once what it was. He
inspected it, however, closely.

"Let me see," said he, reading the description on the ticket, which
ran thus--

BELL BOOK WORKYARD, ARBBOATH,
_"20th June,_ 1810.

_"Ruby Brand, seaman and blacksmith, in the service of the Honourable
the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses, aged 25 years, 5 feet
10 inches high, very powerfully made, fair complexion, straight nose,
dark-blue eyes, and curling auburn hair,"

This description was signed by the engineer of the works; and on the
obverse was written, _"The bearer, Ruby Brand, is serving as a
blacksmith in the erection of the Bell Rock Lighthouse."_

"This is all very well, my fine fellow," said the officer, "but I
have been deceived more than once with these medals and tickets. How
am I to know that you have not stolen it from someone?"

"By seeing whether the description agrees," replied Ruby.

"Of course, I know that as well as you, and I don't find the
description quite perfect. I would say that your hair is light-brown,
now, not auburn, and your nose is a little Roman, if anything; and
there's no mention of whiskers, or that delicate moustache. Why, look
here," he added, turning abruptly to Big Swankie, "this might be the
description of your comrade as well as, if not better than, yours.
What's your name?"

"Swankie, sir," said that individual ruefully, yet with a gleam of
hope that the advantages of the Bell Rock medal might possibly, in
some unaccountable way, accrue to himself, for he was sharp enough to
see that the officer would be only too glad to find any excuse for
securing Ruby.

"Well, Swankie, stand up, and let's have a look at you," said the
officer, glancing from the paper to the person of the fisherman, and
commenting thereon. "Here we have 'very powerfully made'--no mistake
about that--stro