ow himself away on a vessel bound for America;
but the bright, full moon rendered any such attempts impossible for the
meanwhile.

'Isn't it too bad?' broke out Marjorie one day; 'I think the law is
cruel if it forces Mr. Stewart to have Neil arrested. I wonder how he
could do it. He knows as well as we do that Neil isn't a thief.'

'It wasn't Father,' said Allan. 'I happen know that he's lying low and
won't take any notice. All our people are bound together not to betray
Neil, but some one has been a traitor; they don't know who. Neil has a
secret enemy in the place.'

They all thought they knew who this was, but no one could bring the
deed home to the culprit. All desire for fun and adventure seemed to
have left them, and the boys and girls wandered about disconsolately or
sat in groups talking about plans which they were unable to carry out;
or later, ceased to find anything at all to suggest. Even the dogs
seemed to know that something was the matter, for they would lie
quietly beside the children for hours, and sometimes Laddie would
thrust his nose into some one's hand and look up with his honest,
affectionate eyes full of sympathy.

The weather became more broken, and sometimes all intercourse between
Ardnavoir and Corranmore was cut off during the greater part of a day.

When the rain ceased, Andrew MacPeters, looking up from his work, would
find Reggie's dark eyes contemplating him as their owner sat astride
upon a dyke, or Allan considering him with hands in his pockets, and a
thoughtful countenance; or else it was the Grahams who regarded him
with a mixture of interest and aversion, or Tricksy with her great eyes
resting upon him with an expression of sorrow that any one could be so
dreadfully wicked.

The lad would look up with a surly expression in his red-lidded eyes;
but watch as they might, they never detected in him any expression of
guilt or embarrassment.

CHAPTER XIV

CAUGHT

The evening had closed in heavy rain, and towards morning a gusty wind
arose, buffeting the walls of Corranmore and making wild noises in the
ruin.

Marjorie awoke and sat up in bed. A moment's hearkening convinced her
that what the islanders most dreaded had become reality; a westerly
gale had arisen while Neil was still in the caves.

She sprang to the window; and the grey light showed her an angry sea,
with the white horses leaping and hurrying towards the Corrachin
headland.

The tide was risin