to die."

"Die? Oh, Tom, no. I forgot all about his cut head. We must tie it
up."

"Tied up it is, sir, wi' my hankychy, but he's got a nasty cut on the
head. Ah, it's bad work resisting the law, for lawful it is, I s'pose,
to press men."

"Don't talk so loud. Feel Eben's head, and find out whether it has
stopped bleeding."

"Did just now, sir, and it about hev. But, I say, Master Aleck, I'm all
in a squirm about you."

"About me? Why?"

"You see, we don't know hardly which way to turn, and I expects every
minute to be running into one o' the man-o'-war boats."

"Well, if we do we do; but I think we can get right out, and it won't be
so dark then."

"I b'lieve there's a fog sattling down, sir, and if there is we shall be
ketched as sure as eggs is eggs. I'm sorry for you, my lad, and I
s'pose I'm sorry for Eben Megg, though we arn't friends. Bit sorry,
too, for myself."

"Oh, they can't hurt you, Tom."

"Can't hurt me, sir? Why, they'll hev me up afore the magistrits, and
cut me shorter than I am."

"Nonsense!" said Aleck, with a laugh. "They don't behead people now,
and even if they did they wouldn't do it for helping a pressed man to
escape."

"Tchah! I don't mean that way, my lad. I mean chop off my pension,
and--"

"Pst!"

Unwittingly they had been slowly sailing right for one of the sloop's
boats, and their whispers had been heard, for from out of the darkness,
and apparently a very little way off, came a hail and an order to stop.

"Shall us stop, sir?" said Tom.

"Stop going that way. Helm down, Tom," whispered Aleck; and the little
sail swung over and filled on the other side, the water rippling gently
under their bows. Otherwise it was so silent that they could hear
whispers away to their right, followed by a softly given order, which
was followed by the dip, dip, dip, dip of oars, and they glided so
closely by the rowers that Aleck fancied he could see the man-o'-war's
boat.

A couple of minutes later they tacked again, and were sailing on, when
all at once Aleck whispered, as he leaned over his companion:

"That must be the low line of the fog bank, Tom. Look how black it is!"

"Where, sir?"

"Over where I'm pointing," replied Aleck.

"By jinks!" growled Tom, excitedly, shifting the rudder and throwing the
wind out of the sail, which flapped for a bit and then once more filled
on the other tack.

"What was it, Tom?"

"What was it, my lad? Why, that warn't no