A startled movement went round the group, and Allan looked at his
father without replying.

'That man who helped you with the boat,' said Mr. Stewart; 'he stayed
behind after you left; who was he?'

CHAPTER XIII

ANDREW MACPETERS

For a moment no one stirred; then Allan braced himself to meet the
difficulty.

'I'm sorry, Father; but I can't tell you that,' he said.

Mr. Stewart looked at him in astonishment.

'You can't tell me? You mean you don't know?'

Allan was silent.

Mr. Stewart waited.

Tricksy crept closer to Marjorie and trembled with dismay.

'You associate with people that you cannot tell your parents about,'
said Mr. Stewart in great displeasure; 'and you allow him to associate
with your little sister and with Marjorie. I am sorry that I must
forbid the use of the boat until you tell me who was with you this
morning.'

Allan waited with a white face until his father had left the room; then
he turned to the others.

'No one is to let out who it was,' he said. 'You have all signed the
Compact, and any one breaking it will have me to reckon with.'

Reggie's brown face wore an expression which showed that he, at least,
meant to be trustworthy; and Marjorie's lips set themselves firmly.
The Grahams, major and minor, had said little, but now Harry's eyes
sparkled, and Gerald flushed, as he always did when he was trying to be
brave.

'But, Allan,' said Tricksy in a trembling voice, 'wouldn't it be better
to tell Father about it and ask him to let us have the boat for Neil?
We must get him away from the island, you know.'

'Can't tell Pater, Tricksy,' replied Allan. 'It would be all right if
they hadn't made him a Justice of the Peace; that's some kind of a
judge, you know. He couldn't help any one like Neil; indeed I'm not
sure that he wouldn't have to telegraph for the Sheriff and let him
know that Neil is here, and it would be a dreadful thing for Father to
have to do that.'

'Then how are we going to get Neil away from the Den,' said Tricksy.
'They'll find him if he stays there.'

'Allan,' said Marjorie firmly, 'Hamish and I will go. We haven't been
forbidden the use of the boat.'

'We'll go too,' said Harry. 'We aren't his children, and Mr. Stewart
didn't say anything to us.'

'All right, Marjorie,' said Allan; 'you'd better all go, for Neil's old
boat is pretty heavy to get through the water. Quick, there isn't a
minute to lose.'

Little was said as the old herring