've got for to do is to break into limbo and shove Gascoyne out of
limbo, and help him to escape. It's all square, you see, lads."

"Not so square as you seem to think," said Henry Stuart, who at that
moment stepped from behind the stem of the tree, which had prevented the
party from observing his approach.

"Why not?" said Bumpus, making room for the young man to sit beside
Alice, on the grass.

"Because," said Henry, "Gascoyne won't agree to escape."

"Not agree for to escape!"

"No. If the prison door were opened at this moment, he would not walk
out."

Bumpus became very grave, and shook his head. "Are ye sartin sure o'
this?" said he.

"Quite sure," replied Henry, who now detailed part of his recent
conversation with the pirate captain.

"Then it's all up with him!" said Bumpus; "and the pirate will meet his
doom, as I once hear'd a feller say in a play--though I little thought
to see it acted in reality."

"So he will," added Dick Price.

Corrie's countenance fell, and Alice grew pale. Even Poopy and Toozle
looked a little depressed.

"No, it is _not_ all up with him," cried Henry Stuart, energetically.
"I have a plan in my head which I think will succeed, but I must have
assistance. It won't do, however, to discuss this before our young
friends. I must beg of Alice and Poopy to leave us. I do not mean to
say I could not trust you, Alice, but the plan must be made known only
to those who have to act in this matter. Rest assured, dear child, that
I shall do my best to make it successful."

Alice sprang up at once. "My father told me to follow him some time
ago," said she. "I have been too long of doing so already. I _do_ hope
that you will succeed."

So saying, and with a cheerful "Good-bye!" the little girl ran down the
mountain-side, closely followed by Toozle and Poopy.

As soon as she was gone, Henry turned to his companions and unfolded to
them his plan--the details and carrying out of which, however, we must
reserve for another chapter.

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE.

BUMPUS IS PERPLEXED--MYSTERIOUS COMMUNINGS AND A CURIOUS LEAVE-TAKING.

"It's a puzzler," said Jo Bumpus to himself--for Jo was much in the
habit of conversing with himself; and a very good habit it is, one that
is often attended with much profit to the individual, when the
conversation is held upon right topics and in a proper spirit--"it's a
puzzler, it is; that's a fact."

Having relieved his mind of this observa