ir, and in
spite of excitement, conversation languished while the cart jolted
along and finally halted at the gates of Ardnavoir, the manor-house of
the island of Inchkerra.

CHAPTER II

THE PIRATES' DEN

'Neil, old fellow,' Allan was saying, 'I wonder how much longer these
people are going to keep us waiting.'

The two were in a boat that was bobbing up and down upon the waves.
The shore close by was low and sandy, with some seaweed-covered stones
forming a convenient landing-place. On one side the bay swept round in
a curve ending in a rocky headland; and on the other arose low cliffs
with brambles and sea-pinks growing in the crevices. A breeze was
blowing shoreward; and the waves curled and broke upon the beach with a
pleasant sound.

'Nothing more found out about the robbery yet, I suppose?' said Allan,
after they had waited a little longer.

'Nothing at all,' said Neil. 'It iss a most extraordinary affair, for
there iss not a man on the island one could effer be suspecting of
doing such a thing; and if it wass a stranger, the wonder iss how he
will be managing to come and go without being seen. The letter-box
wass broken into from inside the house, and whoever will be doing it
must have got in after MacAlister and his wife wass gone to bed. It
iss a wonder they will not have been hearing anything.'

'There's the MacGregors' pony-cart at last,' said Allan, 'with Marjorie
and Hamish in it. Let's bring the boat to the landing-stones. They
will leave the trap at Mrs. MacMurdoch's cottage until we come back.'

A man came out of the cottage and held the little shaggy pony while
Marjorie and her brother took a variety of miscellaneous articles out
of the cart.

'Hulloa, Allan! hulloa, Neil!' they cried; 'where are the others?'

'Don't know,' said Allan, 'they are dawdling somewhere, and we'll never
get off at this rate. What's all this that you've got with you?'

'Things for the hiding-place,' said Marjorie; 'and a nice lot of
trouble we've had to bring them all this way without breaking any of
them. The pony was particularly tricky, not having been exercised.
You'll get a basket of crockery, Allan, if you'll go and take it out of
the trap. Hamish is carrying some provisions and a tablecloth, and
I've got some knives and forks, and just look at this!--It's a girdle
for making scones with.'

'All right,' said Allan; 'chuck them into the boat, and get in
yourself. But won't it be a little t