the Bell Rock.

The gale was rapidly increasing, and the management of the helm
required his undivided attention; nevertheless his mind was busy
with anxious thoughts and plans of escape. He thought with horror of
a French prison, for there were old shipmates of his who had been
captured years before, and who were pining in exile still. The bare
idea of being separated indefinitely, perhaps for ever, from Minnie,
was so terrible, that for a moment he meditated an attack,
single-handed, on the crew; but the muzzle of a pistol on each side
of him induced him to pause and reflect! Reflection, however, only
brought him again to the verge of despair. Then he thought of
running up to Leith, and so take the Frenchmen prisoners; but this
idea was at once discarded, for it was impossible to pass up to
Leith Roads without seeing the Bell Rock light, and the Frenchmen
kept a sharp lookout. Then he resolved to run the vessel ashore and
wreck her, but the thought of his comrades down below induced him to
give that plan up.

Under the influence of these thoughts he became inattentive, and
steered rather wildly once or twice.

"Stiddy. Ha! you tink of how you escape?"

"Yes, I do," said Ruby, doggedly.

"Good, and have you see how?"

"No," replied Ruby, "I tell you candidly that I can see no way of
escape."

"Ver good, sare; mind your helm."

At that moment a bright star of the first magnitude rose on the
horizon, right ahead of them.

"Ha! dat is a star," said the Frenchman, after a few moments'
observation of it.

"Stars don't go out," replied Ruby, as the light in question
disappeared.

"It is de light'ouse den?"

"I don't know," said Ruby, "but we shall soon see."

Just then a thought flashed into Ruby's mind. His heart beat quick,
his eye dilated, and his lip was tightly compressed as it came and
went. Almost at the same moment another star rose right ahead of
them. It was of a deep red colour; and Ruby's heart beat high again,
for he was now certain that it was the revolving light of the Bell
Rock, which shows a white and red light alternately every two
minutes.

"_Voila!_ that must be him now," exclaimed the Frenchman, pointing
to the light, and looking enquiringly at Ruby.

"I have told you," said the latter, "that I never saw the light
before. I believe it to be the Bell Rock Light; but it would be as
well to run close and see. I think I could tell the very stones of
the tower, even in a dark night. An