rprise was Captain
Gordon, who had left his ship, the Lydia, at Greenock, and was now
on his way to Leith. He had gone out in the ship's boat to the
wreck. One of the crew was saved, an Orkney man; but the rest were
all lost, including, as we afterwards heard, young Tom Kinlay,
whose career of crime was thus brought to an early termination.

Mrs. Kinlay, who was a gentle and good woman, had much tribulation
to bear up against in the unhappy deaths of her husband and son;
and, having but little of the sympathy of her neighbours, she
resolved to leave the island. Accordingly, as soon as she recovered
her health, the farm, stock, and furniture at Crua Breck were sold,
and the unfortunate widow took passage over to Caithness, where she
remained among her relatives for the rest of her days.

A great dread came upon me when I heard that Mrs. Kinlay had left
for Scotland. I thought that Thora Quendale had gone with her, and
that I had lost sight of my dear girl friend for ever. I feared
even to ask if this was so; but passing along the road one evening,
soon after we had dropped anchor in the bay, I chanced to meet
Andrew Drever walking home with a string of trout hanging at his
side.

Having exchanged a few friendly remarks with me, he asked if I
would go and spend the evening with him.

"Come and take some supper with us, lad," said he. "Thora will be
glad to see ye."

"Thora!" I exclaimed.

"Ay, Thora. Did you not know Thora lives with us now?"

"No; I thought she had gone to Caithness with Mrs. Kinlay."

"Nay, nay," said Andrew; "Thora can look after herself now, since
we heard from Copenhagen. But come along as soon's you can, and
we'll tell you all about it."

And with that he trudged away humming a lightsome tune.

Chapter XLII. A Choice Among Three.

Not many minutes after I left the schoolmaster, when I was passing
by the wharf, I met Jack Paterson. Jack was standing looking down
into the water, with his two hands deep in his trousers pockets,
and his face bearing an expression of curious indecision.

"Hello, Jack, what's troubling you now?" I asked, approaching him.

"Troubling me! Well, I suppose it is troubling me, too. The fact
is, Ericson, I've been asked to take command of the new pilots."

"Well, man, that's surely nothing to look so gloomy about, is it?"

"No, lad; and I wouldna trouble sae muckle if I could see my way
clear to takin' the offer. But, ye see, Halcro, I canna do the
pil