e do wid you?"

"I don't know, and don't care," answered Charley, recklessly; "only give
me back Miss Margery--that's what I want."

"Ah! is it? She long way from dis, _mon garcon_," said the captain, in
a mocking tone; "Vould you like go see her?"

"Yes, I would," answered Charley; "and let me tell you that if a hair of
her head has been injured, you will all have to pay dearly for it."

"Vary well, vary well," said the Frenchman, still mocking at Charley;
"Ve vill take you wid us, eh?"

"Come, enough of this, mounseer," growled out the other man, who was
only then recovering from the effects of the iron grip Tom had taken of
his throat. "If we don't look out, mates, we shall have a whole gang of
the coastguard down on us while we stay chattering here. Just settle
what's to be done with the old man and the lad, and then the sooner we
are away from here the better."

"Give us up the little girl, and neither coastguard nor police shall
molest you if we can help it," exclaimed Charley.

"Then no one is following you?" asked the man.

"No," answered Charley, without thinking of the consequences of his
reply.

"Then come with me, lads, and we'll stop up the entrance to our burrow
in a way which will give plenty of work to any one to find it!"
exclaimed the man; "but we'll put irons first on the claws of this young
fighting-cock and his companion."

The smugglers were deaf to all Charley's expostulations, and he and Tom
speedily found their hands in heavy manacles, which would effectually
prevent them from making their escape. Tom did not at first deign even
to speak, but now lifting up his manacled hands he exclaimed, "Thank ye,
mates, for these pretty gloves; we had intended to put your hands into
some like them before the night is over, and just let me advise you, or
you'll be caught as it is."

Charles and Tom were left standing by themselves to indulge in
meditation, while one-half of the smugglers hurried off to stop the
entrance to the passage, and the other half packed up the goods which
lay about the cavern, ready to carry them off.

Charley's meditations were not altogether pleasant, but though
grievously disappointed at the failure of his expedition, he kept up his
spirits with the hope that something might still turn up to enable him
either to see Margery, or to learn where she was. He was, however,
greatly concerned with the thought of the additional anxiety Captain and
Mrs Askew would feel w