usted. Curious; there is something in the man's appearance
which seems familiar to me----'

He was about to take another look when the air was rent by the shrill
whistle of a siren.

They all turned round in astonishment, and when they looked towards the
rocks again the figure had disappeared.

The captain's face had become stern, but the culprit proved to be only
a small boy in a jacket whose sleeves were too short for him.

Marjorie had seen more, however; she had seen that it was Jim
Macdonnell who had made Reggie blow the siren.

During the rest of the afternoon things seemed to be swimming before
Marjorie's eyes, and she heard only a confused murmur of voices.

When the voyage was over she went straight to Allan.

'Allan,' she said abruptly, 'I may as well tell you that I know your
secret. Neil is in Inchkerra--and he is in hiding.'

CHAPTER IX

DISAPPOINTMENT

Allan looked at Marjorie with his hands in his pockets.

'It's all right,' said Marjorie hastily; 'I won't tell any one, but I
couldn't help finding it out, for I saw Neil. Anyhow, I know so much
already that I might as well know the rest. To begin with, it was
Neil's knife that you picked up in the Den; I saw the letters on the
handle.'

Allan watched Marjorie narrowly for a minute, and then he seemed to
become reassured.

'Listen, Marjorie,' he said; 'mind you don't let out a word of this to
any one. It would be an awful thing if Neil were taken now. He came
back a few days ago, in a smuggling vessel, to see his mother. Mrs.
Macdonnell is very ill, as you know'--Marjorie nodded, a lump being in
her throat--'and she thinks she can't live long. Some one who knew
where Neil was wrote and told him that she was always saying how much
she wished she could see him before she died, and he came back at once,
although the police may get him at any minute and he knows it. In the
meanwhile she is much worse, and he refuses to go away until he sees
whether she is going to recover. Mrs. Macdonnell keeps asking him to
clear out, but he always says there is no hurry, and that he will wait
until she is better. It's awfully senseless of him, for he might be
seen any day; but Neil always was a bit obstinate once he takes a thing
into his head. He hides most of the day and comes out when there isn't
much chance of his meeting any one. But if he were found out he would
be taken and sent to prison as sure as fate, so you must tell no one,
Mar