ke good our purpose and bear off
the maid."

"Well," returned Lord Foxham, "lead on. I will, in some sort, follow you
for shame's sake; but I own I would I were in bed."

"Here, then," said Dick. "Hither we go to fetch our pilot."

And he led the way to the rude alehouse where he had given rendezvous
to a portion of his men. Some of these he found lingering round the door
outside; others had pushed more boldly in, and, choosing places as near
as possible to where they saw their comrade, gathered close about
Lawless and the two shipmen. These, to judge by the distempered
countenance and cloudy eye, had long since gone beyond the boundaries of
moderation; and as Richard entered, closely followed by Lord Foxham,
they were all three tuning up an old, pitiful sea-ditty, to the chorus
of the wailing of the gale.

The young leader cast a rapid glance about the shed. The fire had just
been replenished, and gave forth volumes of black smoke, so that it was
difficult to see clearly in the farther corners. It was plain, however,
that the outlaws very largely outnumbered the remainder of the guests.
Satisfied upon this point, in case of any failure in the operation of
his plan, Dick strode up to the table and resumed his place upon the
bench.

"Hey?" cried the skipper, tipsily, "who are ye, hey?"

"I want a word with you without, Master Arblaster," returned Dick; "and
here is what we shall talk of." And he showed him a gold noble in the
glimmer of the firelight.

The shipman's eyes burned, although he still failed to recognise our
hero.

"Ay, boy," he said, "I am with you. Gossip, I will be back anon. Drink
fair, gossip"; and, taking Dick's arm to steady his uneven steps, he
walked to the door of the alehouse.

As soon as he was over the threshold, ten strong arms had seized and
bound him; and in two minutes more, with his limbs trussed one to
another, and a good gag in his mouth, he had been tumbled neck and crop
into a neighbouring hay-barn. Presently, his man Tom, similarly secured,
was tossed beside him, and the pair were left to their uncouth
reflections for the night.

And now, as the time for concealment had gone by, Lord Foxham's
followers were summoned by a preconcerted signal, and the party, boldly
taking possession of as many boats as their numbers required, pulled in
a flotilla for the light in the rigging of the ship. Long before the
last man had climbed to the deck of the _Good Hope_, the sound of
furiou