The Birthright

remarked Cap'n Jack, after he had

governed by no laws, legal or moral, save those which this man himself made. If I failed, therefore, to fall in with his plans, in all probability Sam Liddicoat and Bill Lurgy would be called in to complete the work which they had attempted a little while before.

glances at me. The place was very silent, save for the swish of the waves, as they poured into the outer cave, and rolled t

watch, which he had taken from his pocket, an

, ed'n et, Jaspe

er

nobody knawed anything 'bout et, 'c

tse

ng. Besides, Granfer Fraddam was

lled to mind many things

'ere, an' nobody the wis

es

ike for nothin' to 'appen to you, Jasper. Tha's wy I stopped 'em jist now. 'ow be 'ee thi

not

nny, you ca'an't git 'em nohow. Besides, 'twas 'ard that you shud zee thicky purty maid for the fust t

, and I felt m

of spitin' they Tresidders, and buyin' back the 'ome that es rightfully yours, that I shud. Now, Jasper, my sonny, I could put 'ee in the way of gittin' 'nough in a year or two to get yer oan. A clai

" I a

f in my 'an

ggler, a wrecker, and

nest man, cud 'ave the arrangin' ov things, they've been tooked from 'ee by law. An' you might wait till you was black an' blue, and the law wudden give et back. What 'ave you got to do with law? Well, dodgin' the P

o you offer

e, Jasper. You are a vine big man, sonny, a match for two ord'nary men, with schullership

g were all,"

se you doan't. Well, look at that now. Spoase you doan't now.

murdered,

deear, es a rule; still we've got to go 'ginst bad luck, sometimes. Bu

he third," I

ad thing to kill a man who's the third of the same naame. But for that I mightn't 'ave come in time.

is the third in succession to bear the same christened name. I know, too, that Cap'n Jack believed implicitly in the legend, and I have heard him repeat it very solemnly, as though he were repeating a prayer at a funeral, while h

n shall stri

ll be on the

ver he draw

all be a fe

eath to hel

and everla

"I do'ant want no violence weth 'ee,

uggling I would not have minded so much, for it is well known that smuggling is not regarded by many as wrong, even the parsons at St. Mawes, and Tresillian, and Mopus having bought smuggled goods. Besides, I knew that many had gained wealth in this way, and were

ry. I do a biggish traade down the coast, Jasper, my deear. Ther's Kynance, now, or a cove

ve time!"

this very night, you shall. The boys 'll soon be 'ere now. A special cargo, Jasper, 'nough to make yer lips wate

ack?" I said, for already I began to

o knaw about

Fraddam

ey do, else you wudden a

asn't found out, living where

Ikey do kn

very extensive, and he employed people up and down the coast on both sides of the county. Moreover,

en are busy watch

y deear. Iss, they be watc

heard between them a

on; "tha's all right, and they'll never vind out, no, t

; there's anot

ho

efore I had time to think his white e

mi Penryn

man. The look of harmless indecision was gone, and all his pious sentiments were flung to the wind.

s, Jasper Pennington," he sa

d him what I have written here, save but for th

o keep you from bei

es

n in a minute, and he had seen more than had come into my mind. He commenced

sonnies, com

the two me

comin', b

, Ca

d of voices, and presently I knew th

onnies?" ask

, Ca

ood. It's a vallyable car

en la

r what they were. I could see that the men were eyeing me keenly, and I thought unpl

seed, I

, Cap'n. No m

eated Cap'n Jack, then, turning to me, he s

n expressio

gton. You've 'eerd me spaik about un. Well, 'ee's a-goin' to jine us, laistways, 'ee's a-goin' to Kynance to-night jist to zee, ya knaw

pt Ikey Trethewy, who stood

gs handy," he said; "nobody do knaw what'll 'appen." Then, turning to Ikey Trethewy, he said, "You do knaw of a

nod

t a bit ov p

Cap

rayer-book. I allays like to carry a prayer-book weth m

per which he had torn from the prayer-book on a f

shall tell '

e one word about, or come near Granf

s he spoke them. "I

r naame,

as he

g to be a schullard," he said, admiringly. Then he turned to Ikey Trethewy. "This m

'n," resp

Ah, 'tes a good thing to be a man of paice, and full

cave, and a few seconds later I w

elp feeling awed as I looked upon the great headland. Little wind blew, but the long lines of whit

ked Cap'n Jack. "'Ave 'ee ever

, Cap'

; one as knaws figgers, an' can larn navigation. I do want a gen'lman by birth, an' a great lashin' chap like you, Jasp

I were drifting away from Naomi, and that in spite o

eadland, and I saw the rocky cove

of song now. Fishermen agoin' 'ome ov a mornin', we be. We've toiled oal night an' caught nothin', as the sc

d a song, and the rest

. "Jine in the cheerful song; let the people zee wot a content

thunderin' s

hunderin' wi

sailors were roc

lubbers layi

below, below

ubbers layin'

e to-night for supper. Ya knaw wot a good cook my maid Tamsin es. Well, she'll do 'er best fur to-night. Hake an' conger pie, roast beef

the sides of the chasm shot up, steeper than the roof o

o 'ee zee thicky 'ouse up there, Jasper. Tha's mine-an' Tamsin 'll be waitin' for me. Providence took away 'er mawther, but left Tamsin; an' Providence was kind, Jasper, for h

so placed that from the gable windows a broad expanse of sea could be seen. It was a well-built house, too, substantial and roomy. In the front was

, and the Admiral, well 'ee polished off the Spaniards and took a lot of treasure from the Spanish ships. Some would call 'im a pirate, Jasper, my d

uxom girl of twenty, who greeted her father w

ence-my one yaw lamb, tha's wot she es. As spruce a maid as there es in the country, my deear. An' I forgot, you dunnaw Jasper, do 'ee, Tamsin? This es Jasper Pennington, a godly young man who, like Esau of ould, 'a

y, as though she could not quite make me out. Certainly I was not very presentable. My clothes were stained and torn, and my appearance altogether unkempt.

sleep when you do'ant want to. I do veel like that, too. After we've 'ad a slaip, Jasper, we'l

are a bed for me, while Cap'

fur somebody, an' not short of a fortin neither. I've been a savin' man, sonny, an' 'ave bin oncommon lucky in traade. I spoase Israel Barnicoat do

a sounding kiss, and

be as blue

like goul

stick to me

come ba

again

ome back

room, and tha's the bed, oa

a long time since I had slept in a soft clean bed, and I did not fail to appreciate

e at the door." It w

made, and of good material. They fitted me, too, and I must confess that I looked at myself with considerable satis

down to the c

y, and her voice w

pper. I want us to have a talk now. I want you to tell me why you are here. I want to know if you realise w