onesome, specially at night--they do
say as it's ha'nted, though I can't vouch for the truth of the story;
but I _do_ know this much, that the last time I was ashore there, I took
a stroll out as far as the ruin towards nightfall, and they told me as I
don't know what would happen if I went there; nobody ever went a-near
the place at nightfall, so they said."

"And _did_ anything happen?" inquired Mr Annesley.

"Lord bless you! no, sir. I enjoyed the walk amazingly; sat and smoked
my pipe among the ruins, and watched the sun go down; stayed there till
the moon rose, and then walked back again to the town, and never saw a
soul within a mile of the spot all the while I was there."

"Does not the high road to Ajaccio pass close by the ruin?" inquired the
skipper.

"Within a cable's length of it," replied Rawlings. "And when once
you're in the road, turn to the left, and it's all plain sailing for the
rest of the way right into the town. There's only one turning in the
road, and that's just after you leave the ruin; but it is only a narrow
road; it turns to the right, and leads off somewhere among the hills."

"Just so," remarked the skipper in a tone of great satisfaction. "What
Rawlings says agrees most accurately with the information supplied to
us, you see," he continued, addressing Mr Annesley; "so I think if
young Chester only follows out his instructions with ordinary care, he
should have no difficulty in finding the place to which he is sent."

"None whatever, I should imagine," returned Mr Annesley. "He is very
young, I admit, to be entrusted with such important documents, but on
that very account he is all the less likely to attract attention; and I
have the utmost faith in his readiness of resource, which I believe is
quite equal to the task of keeping him clear of all difficulty. Do you
still feel quite confident of success?" he asked, turning to me.

"Perhaps I ought not to say quite so much as that, sir," I replied, "but
I feel no nervousness whatever, and I will do all I possibly can to
succeed."

"That is quite sufficient," said the skipper. "And now it is time you
were off. Let them man my gig, the crew taking their sidearms with
them. And as you know the place so well, Mr Rawlings, I will ask you
to take command of the expedition, and kindly put Mr Chester fairly in
the main road to Ajaccio. Remember, Mr Chester--the first turning to
the right."

"Ay, ay, sir," I replied. A few brief a