The Birthright

was. I was sure she spoke earnestly, too. Evidently she regarded me as different from the gang

e said. I am not ashamed to say this. Nay, I have no faith in men who are clever enough to give lying answers instead of true ones. Give me a man who speaks out straight, and who knows nothing of crooked ways. The men that the country wants are not clever, scheming men, who wriggle out of difficulties by underhanded ways, but those who see only the truth, and speak it, and fight for it if needs be. I am glad I had a fair amount of schooling, as becomes one who ought to have been the squire of a parish, but I am more thankful because I

d hide the truth from her. Before we had been talking ten minutes I had told her all about myself, except my love for Naomi. I dared not speak about that, for I felt I was not worthy to speak of her, whose life was far removed f

mised that you shall win enough money to

has," was

ow the kind of

heard,"

er Pennington, if you bought ba

able under her words, "what harm is there in smuggli

re all!" she sai

ed. "Your father told me tha

Bill Lurgy has been with my father for years; do

"Your father has promised that I

ich caused her much feeling, when her eyes looked straight into mine, and I saw the blood course up into her face, u

especially as a few seconds befo

omise, then?" I asked. "I cannot go at once without his consen

no, stay!" she said. "I will see to it that y

sk her what she meant, for just then her fat

en some story was being told Cap'n Jack coughed, whereupon the eyes of the story-teller were turned upon me, and the yarn remained unfinished. I could see, too, that many of the men did not like me, and I grew uneas

At the end of two months I knew the coast from Gurnard's Head to Kynance Cove, and had also spent a good deal of time in learning navigation, which Cap'n Jack assured me would be essential to my getting back Pennington. I had no rupture with any of the men, and yet I saw they did not like me. Especially did Israel Barnicoat regard me

you, Squire," he said one day, whe

who cannot keep his temper. So I told him I would rather let him be regarded as the strongest man that Cap'n Jack had. Whereupon he swore loudly and called me a coward, so that I was

won't go in for kicking like the up-country

et his hitch on me first. But he was no match for me; try as he would, he could not throw me, although he could see I did not put forth

el, you are but a baby in his ha

d Israel. "He struck me in the wi

could play with two such as you. Let your bro

aught them like I have seen the schoolmaster at Tregorny catch two boys, and knoc

My forefathers had been mighty men, and although I am told I am far smaller and weaker than they, Israel Barnicoat and his brother seemed like children in my hands. N

my success. I liked it not, however, when that same evening I saw Israel eagerly talking with a group of men, each of whom held their peace as I c

sound of voices in the garden, and presently,

Israel Barnicoat say-they had

ore'n an hour,

fore we? Here 'ee es, livin' at your 'ouse as ef 'ee was yer son. He ain't got to do

lse?" asked

fish o' waun and flesh of

n?" asked

ave got our rights, tha's wo

want a man as knaws figgers an's got schoolin'; 'ave you got et? We want somebody as can play the genleman; can you do et? Billy Coad es too ould to taake command ov th

, wot

y back Pe

use o' th

k his rights, that we'm as safe as eggs, an' shell allays have a squire an' a magistrate

srael that I had had too many favours shown me. Then they talked too low for me to hear, except now and then fragmen

r, in order to understand their plans concerning me; but I could make nothing out of the orders which Cap'n Jack was

our un a bit, and git un in our ways. W

exception of Israel Barnicoat,

Cap'n," he said, "but 'ee's s

amsin to stail, sonn

she's tooked on weth he. Mind, Cap'n, ef h

ap'n Jack. "Go away 'ome, sonny, and

must obey oarders saame as

srael; good-night, sonny, and by the bless

eover, I knew not how to get out of it, for Cap'n Jack had, in a way, got me in his power. I had heard of several who had once belonged to his gang, and who had come to an untimely end, and this not by means of the law, but by unknow

that I did not sleep that night, and I formed many pla

a, as though he saw something of interest, although I, who looked in

teadily a long time. "It do come dark early thaise November days, an' it'll be a baisly

gone Tamsi

o stand-offish

ply, for my

he talk between father and t

know about

, it's all safe with me; and, Jasper, you mustn't think t

t man in your fath

then I knew that Tamsin Truscott loved me. She caught my great brown hand and kissed it. "Jasper," she cried, "I know where father keeps

. For a moment, too, wild, unnatural thoughts came into my mind which I will not here set down. But even as they came the picture of Naomi's face came before me, and they departed with the swiftness of lightning. For I hav

ng to stay at Kynance Cove, wrong to Tamsin, wrong to myself. It would be unworthy of my love for Naomi. For two months I had not realised what lay before me, now I understood. How could I go to her with words

ant us to crake a bit, sonny," he said. I did not

ppin' 'bout for two months, doin' nothin' much. Well, t

you've asked

asper, called The Flying Swan. She'll be 'ome soon from what I 'ope will be a prospe

ch you are the owner? Is she a trading vessel? What does she

ned the seams of a deck. Her cap'n es Billy Coad, a man you may 'ave 'eer'd on, and wawn you would like to knaw. A man of rare piety, Jasp

h scale. What do you m

Billy do see a vessel in the open say, wot do carry the flag of

g Swan is but little bet

Cap'n Jack; "besides, I do look upon this as

refuse?"

nt refuse

y n

a man of paice, I be; but thaise be loanely paarts, my sonny. Neare

e I were to

you ca'ant do that n

re to leave the house now, ay, lea

g is a big affair, my son, an' I telly this, ef you tried to git away to-night you'd be a dead man afore to-morrow, for o

trange light, and I knew he h

e come wi' we, and wi' we you must stay; that es,

if

, and wen you knaw us better, you'll knaw 'ow we stick to aich other through thick and thin. I like 'ee, Jasper, an' I've got need ov 'ee. A strong fella you be-Israel Barnicoat and his brother Micah was just like little babbies to 'ee. A schullard,

sped his meaning,

's a craft a few miles out, an' to-night will be baisly and black. Well, the booys insist on your takin' our ould mare, an' tyin' a

d lure her on to t

ud blaame Providence for thes

the Preventiv

u? You could knack their 'eads toget

f I re

g strangely in the firelight; then he said, slowly, "Ef you refus

rom Cap'n Jack's gang that very night, and that I wo