The Birthright

destroyed. Never until then did I realise the utter heartlessness of the gang. They seemed to care nothing for the lives of those on the ship which they had decided to wreck. In their

and not a star appeared, thus the doomed vessel would be at the mercy of the wreckers. It was Cap'n Jack's plan to have his men in readiness to seize upon all the valuables of the ship, and that the crew should be drowned.

ntive men, would bind me more securely. They did not seem to think that I should fail in doing this. As Cap'n Jack had said, to

ne had enough to excite him to wild deeds, no man was allowed to drink to s

s eyes upon me. When the conference was ended, however, and all their plans, which I have barely hin

ve never done a job like this af

n one man for sich a j

her, I tell 'ee,

un company," was

l, but he kept his eyes

Lizard, jist off Carligga Rocks, we'll kip on cloase by Polpeor, an' on to Bumble. I reckon by that time she'l

t to the Devil's Fryin' Pan or Cadwith, and ef you fail theer, you must git to Black Head as fast as ye

," laughe

in a 'our or a 'our and haalf, Israel, my sonny, and the rest of

ist want to go and spaik to mauther, whi

ried rapidly along the Helston road until he came to a little beer-house, or as the folks called it a kiddleywink, which he entered. When I had arrived at the door of this kiddleywink, I was

job for 'ee,

ha

n' a false li

he Cap'n to kip away, an

. I c'n maake et

what

o'clock to-night. A young fella w

about t

ood. You do as I tell 'ee, Elli

l spoil y

ould not hear. Evidently, however, he satisfied the officer, for I heard h

o Cap'n Jack's house I

to Carn Barrow,"

p'n Jack's plan

ork. I tell 'ee we must git to the Devil's Fryin' Pan by

I replied,

way to The Stags." He seemed to think a minute, then he said, "No, we wa'ant go so far as that, we

lit until we came to Bumble Rock, which stands by a gully in the headlan

ceased to notice him, and for another, he was no longer regarded as the strongest man in the gang. For years he had been proud of this, and now the men laughed at him because I was able to play with both him and h

nto foam. The rocks which we could dimly see, for our eyes had become used to the darkness, seemed like the teeth of a hideous monster, which would cruelly tear any ship that the waves should dash upon them. The thought of the vessel, evidently bound for Falmouth Harbour, being lured to destruction, with all hands on board, was h

el, "we must git to a lew plaace an' light the candle. Come

heltered from the sea, although we could still hear the waves su

ile the roaring sea told me of mad spirits playing with the angry waters. In the dim light I could see the long line of

to be done," said Israel. "By agor, 'ow the

on of my words, a great wave broke on Bumble Rock with a might

anywhere," he said; "ther now, you houl

I re

e main?" h

liff to-night." As I spoke I took the lantern and threw it over

u as you went to the Preventive man to-night; but it is no use. The wreckers' li

be free, but I

" he screamed; "when Cap

rd. Taking some cord from my pocket, with which I had provided myself bef

' to do weth me

ing m

me lie 'ere oal night, be 'ee?

be a bit cramped by the morning, and perhaps you may get a twinge of rheumatics, but that'll be all. Besides, it's

whe

y to-night, perhaps. It's said that Peter Crowle's ghost

Squire, 'n I'll never tell where you'm gone; I'll zay you'm drowned, or tumb

owing, and perhaps the vessel will be safe. As for the spirits, you are the str

agoin' to take

with me. Good luck to

n, but I was sure that, hardy and used to exposure as he was, he would not be hurt. When morning came he would be sea

ng I felt that I was doing what was unworthy of a Pennington, and worse still, what was unworthy of my love for Naomi. But more than all, a wild scheme had come into my mind; I would that night go to Pennington and try to see Naomi. The thought acted upon me like some strange elixir; to hear Naomi's voice, to feel her hand in mine, were a joy beyond all words. How I was to do this

tory in Granfer Fraddam's Cave, and she had shown a desire to shield me from Richard Tresidder, but she must probably have forgotten all about it. Besides, if she had not forgotten me, she would think me either dead or far away. The letter which I had written at Cap

it, is always beautiful and joyous. As I rode along through the night, even the wild winds sang love songs to me,

ing more beautiful on God's green earth than the love of lovers, and I know that when a lad feels a girl's first kisses on his lips, he lives in heaven, if he loves her as I loved Naomi. There are those, even in this parish, who sneer at the bliss

t before midnight I had reached the parish of St. Eve, and was making my way toward Pennington. When within sight of the house, however, I was in a dilemma, and never until then did I realise how difficult was the task I had set myself. The whole family was a-bed, at least I imagined so,

d by the table sat a man and a woman. The man was Ikey Trethewy, whom I had last seen in Granfer Fraddam's Cave, and who had promised to take my letter to Naomi; the woman was the Pennington cook. The latter was a sour and rather hard-featured woman of forty years of age. It had been a joke of the parish that Tryphena Rowse never had a sweetheart in her life, that she was too ugly, too cross-tempered. It was also rumoured, however, that this was not Tryphena's fault, and that her great desire was to get married and settle down. I soon saw that Ikey Trethewy was there as Tryphena's sweetheart. The table was covered with temptin

r conversation was carried on in whispers for fear the noise thereof might reach the master or mistress of the establishment. He succeeded at length, however, in breaking away from the embraces of the fair cook,

fore you come again,

raps you c'n git a bit

es time for 'ee to be puttin' in th' baans? We've

im Jory ded court Mary Hicks thir

like other maids. An' ted'n vitty fur we

ou be a clain off cook, too. I niver taasted sich a vowl pie in m

ud be purty to 'ave

nuther. 'Nother yer or two, Tryphena, and then

ut away the supper things. In a minute my mind was made up. I had heard enough to

preparing to go to her room, and then I gave the kitchen door a slight knock, and, imit

opened the

deear?" she said; and then befor

y were in doubt what to do; but Tryphena, who was as anxious

gton!" she gasped as s

it down, I want to talk with you, an

'ee 'ere, Maaster Jasper. Ef they wos to k

the home of my fathers. And it galled me beyond measure that I should have to enter at midnight at the kitchen door

what I ask you,

'ee I

by to-morrow," I replied, "and Richard Tresidder will know that

it had to be done. I saw, too, that I had said

want me to do

one can hear

n' Miss Naomi, do slaip in

uld hear no sound; evidentl

ago that Ikey brought a lette

ss

wrote tha

Ikey to

nt to see M

he

to her room now, and tell