a
hundred feet to the bottom."

"It is more than that," replied Ralph.

Martin and Toglet exchanged glances, and both nodded. This was as good a
place as any for the accomplishment of their purpose.

"Hallo! what's that?" suddenly cried Martin, pointing across the lake.

Ralph looked in the direction, stepping close to the edge of the cliff as
he did so.

"I don't see anything unusual----" he began.

He got no further. The two men pushed up against him roughly, and before he
could save himself he was hurled into space. A second later he disappeared
from the sight of the two men.

"He's gone!" cried Martin. "Easily done, eh, Tom?"

"It was, Sam. Let us look to make sure he went down."

They peered over the edge of the cliff. Nothing was to be seen of Ralph.

"There's his cap down on the rocks by the water," said Toglet. "He has gone
clean out of sight. Come on away; the job is finished."

And without another word, these two villains in crime hurried from the spot
down to the other side of the island, where the sloop had been left.

CHAPTER XXV.

SQUIRE PAGET'S NEWS.

Martin and Toglet were very white when they reached the sloop, and the
younger man trembled from head to foot.

"What's the matter with you?" asked Martin, with a forced laugh, as they
got on board.

"No--nothing," stammered Toglet.

"You've got a bad case of the shakes."

"Well, to tell the truth, that's the worst job I ever tackled, although
I've accomplished many that were tough enough."

"Humph! you'll get over that feeling when you are as old as I am," replied
Martin, heartlessly. "What's the boy to us?"

"Oh, I ain't squealing. Only he looked so innocent----"

"Bah! don't give me any more of that stuff. Here, have something to brace
you up."

Martin pulled a black flask from his pocket and thrust it forward. Toglet
drank copiously, as if to drown out the memory of what had occurred. Martin
followed with an equally liberal dose.

"It was done easier than I at first imagined it would be," said the latter.
"Had he suspected the least thing we would have had a nasty struggle with
him."

The anchor was hoisted and the sails set, and in a few minutes the sloop
had left the island and was on her way down the lake.

"We won't go near Glen Arbor," said Martin. "Let them find out about the
affair in the natural way. If we report it we may get ourselves into
trouble."

"But the squire----" began Toglet.

"That's none o