. Adiesen at last. "I dare say
you will be glad of some breakfast. Come along, and we will settle
what is to be done about Yaspard afterwards."

They went off to Moolapund, leaving Mr. Neeven alone; and very much
alone he felt himself to be. It was strange, passing strange, thought
he, that the "chatter" of a very ordinary boy should have caused such a
curious revolution within him. What did it mean? Had he not lived his
life of action? had he not tasted the fruit of knowledge until it had
palled on his appetite? Had he not his books for company--books, which
could not irritate, and contradict, and bother, as human beings are
prone to do?

"A boy is a happy creature!" Gaun Neeven said to himself with a sigh,
as he picked up the book Tom had been reading; "a happy sort of animal
on the whole. I could wish myself a boy once more!"

Meanwhile Tom Holtum was being introduced at Moolapund, where he was
very soon at his ease, and chatting away with his wonted fearless
candour, which Harry had been heard to call "impudence and vanity
rolled up in whale's blubber."

His host was in wonderfully good humour, and contrived to get a good
deal of information regarding life in Lunda out of Tom, without
allowing it to appear that he was at all interested in the people of
that isle.

"I suppose," he said by-and-by, "that I must find a way of sending you
back; and there is that boy Winwick has to go also. But Yaspard's
misadventure must teach us a lesson. You will have to give me your
word that those who convey you to Lunda shall not be intercepted in the
performance of a neighbourly courtesy as he was."

"Oh, sir!" Tom cried hotly; "why, we never looked at it like _that_,
nor did Yaspard. It was agreed that we should try and nab each other
anywhere and anyhow outside of our own voes. If you had asked Fred
Garson to safeguard the Viking, we would not have meddled with him."

"And poor brodhor," Signy exclaimed, "would not have been enjoying
himself at Collaster!"

"I think," said Uncle Brues suddenly, "that Yaspard has met Vikings as
mad as himself. Now, Master Tom, can you tell how he is going to
recover his liberty and his boat 'captured on the high seas,' eh?"

"I thought I'd talk to his followers--as he calls those Harrison
boys--and they may help him. Of course they are the proper persons to
negotiate about his ransom," and Tom grinned.

Signy volunteered to go with him to Noostigard; so the ponies were
sa