y there at anchor,
or had been drawn up on the beach. A long duration of bad weather had
driven them from the high seas into the shelter of the port; and the
great trooping of black clouds, and the cold squalls that followed one
another, now with a sprinkling of dry snow, now in a mere swoop of wind,
promised no improvement but rather threatened a more serious storm in
the immediate future.

The seamen, in view of the cold and the wind, had for the most part
slunk ashore, and were now roaring and singing in the shoreside taverns.
Many of the ships already rode unguarded at their anchors; and as the
day wore on, and the weather offered no appearance of improvement, the
number was continually being augmented. It was to these deserted ships,
and, above all, to those of them that lay far out, that Lawless directed
his attention; while Dick, seated upon an anchor that was half embedded
in the sand, and giving ear, now to the rude, potent, and boding voices
of the gale, and now to the hoarse singing of the shipmen in a
neighbouring tavern, soon forgot his immediate surroundings and concerns
in the agreeable recollection of Lord Foxham's promise.

He was disturbed by a touch upon his shoulder. It was Lawless, pointing
to a small ship that lay somewhat by itself, and within but a little of
the harbour mouth, where it heaved regularly and smoothly on the
entering swell. A pale gleam of winter sunshine fell, at that moment, on
the vessel's deck, relieving her against a bank of scowling cloud; and
in this momentary glitter Dick could see a couple of men hauling the
skiff alongside.

"There, sir," said Lawless, "mark ye it well! There is the ship for
to-night."

Presently the skiff put out from the vessel's side, and the two men,
keeping her head well to the wind, pulled lustily for shore, Lawless
turned to a loiterer.

"How call ye her?" he asked, pointing to the little vessel.

"They call her the _Good Hope_, of Dartmouth," replied the loiterer.
"Her captain, Arblaster by name. He pulleth the bow oar in yon skiff."

This was all that Lawless wanted. Hurriedly thanking the man, he moved
round the shore to a certain sandy creek, for which the skiff was
heading. There he took up his position, and as soon as they were within
earshot, opened fire on the sailors of the _Good Hope_.

"What! Gossip Arblaster!" he cried. "Why, ye be well met; nay, gossip,
ye be right well met, upon the rood! And is that the _Good Hope_? Ay, I
wo