y, close by
the house of Julian Wemyss. The King's ships had settled themselves, one
in Belfast Lough, and the sloop-of-war well round the point into Loch
Ryan. The _Good Intent_ might therefore discharge her cargo in peace,
and the boats were ready on the beach of the Water Cave to put the Inch
Ryan refugees in charge of the pack horses which were to carry the stuff
inland, distributing as they went.

The lads were riotous to be off, and Stair had to exercise his
authority, backed by Godfrey McCulloch's experience and influence over
the eastern men, to keep them quiet in the cove till the time should
come for the _Good Intent_ to cast anchor in the bay.

The chastisement of the Rathlin man had cowed the wildest spirits, and,
still more than the fear of Stair, the acquiescence of the company in
the justice of the punishment. Nevertheless, those in the cave were
restless and uneasy, setting their heads out to sniff the salt of the
sea beneath, and craning their necks through the spy-hole to watch the
sand-pipers wheeling as if dancing new-fangled waltzes, or probing the
sands after little shellfish and sea worms, never getting in each
other's way, but each working quietly along, like a minister in his own
parish.

Stair Garland was lost in admiration of the glory of the sea and sand at
sunset. The crying of the island curlews coming down each in long plane
flight eased his mind. _Willy-wha_--_willy-wha!_ they called in long
diminuendo, before they settled.

Presently the mist began to rise out of the hollows and hung out over
the sea from Inch Ryan to the mainland crags like the stretched awning
of a tent. Stair gave the lads leave to go on the balcony while he
himself started on a tour of inspection. He would have liked to take
Godfrey McCulloch with him. But he knew that his own following would be
jealous and resent his passing them over, so he contented himself with
saying, "Attend to what Godfrey says, boys. He has seen more than all of
us put together. Fergus" (this to his elder brother), "knock the heads
of any men who make a noise. No one shall come with us to-night who does
not obey now!"

Stair went out by the little passage, spoken of in other chronicles,
which opened into the inner towers of the ancient castle of the Herons.
He found himself among rugged, heathy ground, the hollow palm of the
island, now suffused with milky opalescence, for the sun was setting.
Hardly could Stair see from one tuft to ano