made of, d'ye see? so
Ruby, boy, farewell."

Half-an-hour before midnight was the time chosen for the sailing of
the sloop _Termagant_, in order that she might get away quietly and
escape the press-gang. Ruby and his uncle had taken the precaution to
go down to the harbour just a few minutes before sailing, and they
kept as closely as possible to the darkest and least-frequented
streets while passing through the town.

Captain Ogilvy returned by much the same route to his sister's
cottage, but did not attempt to conceal his movements. On the
contrary, knowing that the sloop must have got clear of the harbour
by that time, he went along the streets whistling cheerfully. He had
been a noted, not to say noisy, whistler when a boy, and the habit
had not forsaken him in his old age. On turning sharp round a corner,
he ran against two men, one of whom swore at him, but the other
cried--

"Hallo! messmate, yer musical the night. Hey, Captain Ogilvy, surely
I seed you an' Ruby slinkin' down the dark side o' the market-gate
half an 'oor ago?"

"Mayhap ye did, an' mayhap ye didn't," retorted the captain, as he
walked on; "but as it's none o' your business to know, I'll not tell
ye."

"Ay, ay? O but ye're a cross auld chap. Pleasant dreams t' ye."

This kindly remark, which was expressed by our friend Davy Spink, was
lost on the captain, in consequence of his having resumed his musical
recreation with redoubled energy, as he went rolling back to the
cottage to console Mrs. Brand, and to afford "advice and comfort
gratis" to Minnie Gray.

CHAPTER IV

THE BURGLARY

On the night in question, Big Swankie and a likeminded companion, who
went among his comrades by the name of the Badger, had planned to
commit a burglary in the town, and it chanced that the former was
about that business when Captain Ogilvy unexpectedly ran against him
and Davy Spink.

Spink, although a smuggler, and by no means a particularly
respectable man, had not yet sunk so low in the scale of life as to
be willing to commit burglary. Swankie and the Badger suspected this,
and, although they required his assistance much, they were afraid to
ask him to join, lest he should not only refuse, but turn against
them. In order to get over the difficulty, Swankie had arranged to
suggest to him the robbery of a store containing gin, which belonged
to a smuggler, and, if he agreed to that, to proceed further and
suggest the more important matter in hand