The Lighthouse

dow and fasten it securely on the inside. Then he locked, bolted, barred, and chained the outer door, after which he s

rear, and, when this was accomplished to his satisfaction, he returned

stand out a siege that you ta

floor at his mother's

n on a low sto

ed the captain; "anyhow, i

, boys

we'll conquer ag

e, explain

explain myself nor anybody else. D'y

ll, I confess th

law in Arbroath says so, and if it catch

his departure, the evidence of his guilt in the finding part of the plate in the garden, coupled with h

e was unfolded to him, "surely it must be easy to prove to the satisfa

seen, just about the hour of the robbery, going stealthily down the s

ou were wit

o further evidence to convict me, so they let me off; but it'll go hard with you, nephy, for Major Stewart described the men, and one o' them was a big strong feller, the description bein' as like you as two peas, only their

g; what shall I

ried the capta

criminal, just as I hav

y you,

They cannot-they dare n

ou, mo

ety, as she passed her fingers through her son's hair, and kissed his brow. "I ha

up, and take my chance. To fly would be

d, which I think will keep you out of harm's way for a time. You see my old chronometer is but a poor one,-the worse of the wear, like its master,-and

c

act

omised, and the skipper pointed to his watch, as I came up the sid

that?" enquired th

been right, for the town-clock

skipper

es

e swear

nk he

ow where

e West Indies, and won't be h

a time, I believe, if not longer, and don't come ashore, and it's such a dangerous place, and troublesome to get to, that nobody almost ever goes out to it from this place, except those who have to do with it. Now, lad, you'll go down to the workyard the first

ifficulties ahead

this earth that hadn't rocks ahead o' some sort? It's our business to steer

ason or a carpenter, and I suppose masons a

re," said the captain, "and I know that

with the hammer, but mayh

lacksmith just now, and I happen to be hand-and-glove with some o' the

e rock, what chance have you of making thin

for he looked at his watch and at the clock of the house, and heard it ring in the town, just as the thieves cleared off over the wall. Now, if I can get your old skipper to take a run

ly, "but do you think the lawyers w

think they will shut t

will hang me, and so prevent my taking

u agree to my plan?

it will separate me from

red Minnie, sadly; "yes, I t

rop the subject, because I have other things to speak of; and i

with 'ee in my cabin," said the captain, interrupting h

aven't

stroked his bald head

l, u

t-in short, have ye got

little; but w

ust now," said the captain earnestly, "an' I've given

s laugh. At the same time he flung open the door and drag

here,

phy, I haven't

his uncle into a chair and resuming his own seat at his mother's side; "

inued, "who keeps the c

"your mother keeps it in her drawer and gives me th

have a favour to as

l, R

a goodish lot of it, and find it rather heavy to carry in m

n; then, remarking that "that was all the browns", he began to place handful after handf

into another pocket and began to draw forth golden sovereigns, and pour them into his mother's lap, the captain became sup

owing, as she had come to know, that it was all in vain, and that her utmost efforts had failed to "keep the wolf from th

oon and easily dried-all the more easily

continued to hold converse together until grey dawn began to appear through the chinks in the window-shutters. Then the two