t's what, and as soon as it's dark a couple o'
well-armed boats to beat up the quarters and a dozen or so o' men
pressed. I know. Well, I s'pose it's right; the King must have men to
fight his battles. They ought to volunteer; but some on 'em won't.
They don't like going until they're obliged, and then they do, and
wouldn't come back on no account. Strikes me there's going to be a
landing to-night. Some un must ha' let 'em know. Wonder who could do
it, for there's a bit o' fun coming off to-night, I lay my legs. Eben
Megg wouldn't be here for nothing, and there's half a dozen more hanging
about.

"Well," he added, after a pause. "I'm not going to tell tales about
either side. Don't know much, and what I do know I'm going to keep to
myself. Smuggling arn't right; no more arn't playing spy and informer--
so I stands upon my wooden pegs and looks on. They won't take me.
Wouldn't mind, though, if they did. There, that looks quite decent and
tidy, that does, and if Master Aleck don't say a word o' praise, why I
say it's a shame. Well done; just finished in time. Here you are,
then, my lad. Got a load? Why didn't yer let me come and carry it?
Hold hard a minute, and I'll fetch it aboard."

For Tom Bodger had heard a step on the pier right above him as he
stooped and saw the shadow of him who had made the sound cast right down
upon the thwart and flooring of the boat, the maker of the shadow being
evidently the bearer of some oblong object, which he carried at arm's
length above his head.

Tom was balancing himself upon his wooden legs, and in the attitude of
rising from his bent-down position, when he was conscious of a faint
sound and an alteration in the shadow cast down, while the next instant
there was a tremendous crash.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

A splintering crash as of a heavy mass of stone or metal striking full
upon the thwart behind him, while crash again, right upon the first
sound, there was a duller and more crushing noise.

"Here, hi! Hullo! Here, what in the name o' thunder! Ahoy! Help!"

Tom Bodger was standing bolt upright as he uttered these last words,
fully realising what had happened as he stared down at a rugged hole in
the frail planking of the bottom of the boat, up through which the water
was rising like a thick, squat, dumpy fountain.

"What game d'yer call this, Master Aleck? Eh, not there? I seed his
shadder. He must ha' let it fall. Went through like a sixty-four-po