e a good boy," said O.P., and covered the remainder of the
message with a discreet cough. "Seems to me Tucker's holdin' off a
bit," he added, peering again under the sail. "Wonder what his game
is?"

But I was already stripped, and already the high land loomed over us.
Down went the helm again, and "Now's your time," muttered O.P. as we
scrambled forward to cast off sheets. Amid the flapping of her head
sails as she hung for a moment or two in stays, I slipped overside
and took the water easily while the black mass of her stern swung
slowly round and covered me from view of the boat. Then, as the tall
side began to gather way and slip by me, I cast a glance towards land
and dived.

I came to the surface warily and trod water whilst I spied for the
boat, which--as I reckoned--must be more than a gunshot distant.
The sound of oars guided me, and I dived again in a terror. For she
had not turned about to follow the ketch, but was heading almost
directly towards me, as if to cut me off from the shore.

My small body was almost bursting when I rose for air and another
look. The boat had not altered her course, and I gasped with a new
hope. What if, after all, she were not pursuing me? I let my legs
sink and trod water. No: I had not been spied. She was pointing
straight for the shore. But what should take a long-boat, manned (as
I made out) by a dark crowd of rowers and passengers, at this hour to
this deserted spot? Why was she not putting-in for Cawsand, around
the point? And did she carry the water-guard? Was this Tucker's
boat after all, or another?

Still treading water, I heard her nose take the ground, and presently
the feet of men shuffling, as they disembarked, over loose stones:
then a low curse following on a slip and a splash. "Who's that
talking?" a voice inquired, quick and angry. "Sergeant! Take that
man's name." But apparently the sergeant could not discover him.
The footfalls grew more regular and seemed to be mounting the cliff,
along the base of which, perhaps a hundred yards from shore, the tide
was now sweeping me. I gave myself to it and noiselessly, little by
little working towards land, was borne out of hearing.

Another ten minutes and my feet touched bottom. I pulled myself out
upon a weed-covered rock, and along it to a slate-strewn foreshore
overhung by a low cliff of shale, grey and glimmering in the
darkness. But even in the darkness a ridge of harder rock showed me