IN FOR IT.

"YOU'VE heard all that's been said, Davey Coleman," said the captain, "but to make sure of your understanding it, I'll put the questions before you once more.

"Now—to begin with. Do you solemnly promise to obey orders?"

"Yes, sir," replied Davey, readily; "leastways, so long as you don't tell me to do anything that's wrong. You see, sir," he added, as he looked wonderingly round at the amused faces of the men—"I've done a fair lot of shady things lately, or stood by and, seen them done—and I'm not going to do any more."

"That's a queer sort of obedience you're promising," remarked the captain. "But now for question number two! Will you pledge me your word not to betray us? You've done the spy and found us out. To be an informer is only a step further," and the big man's voice sounded threatening.

"I'll promise with all my heart, never, never to betray you. And as for acting the spy, sir, me and Tom heard noises, and wanted to see what made them. How could we tell that the ghosts were smugglers, and that the noise was made to keep people away? I'm not a spy, and I wouldn't be an informer for anything. Please believe me, sir, it's gospel truth."

"What do you think, Johnnie—may we trust him?"

"I'll be surety for the boy, captain," replied Johnnie. "I believe he means fair."

"I do, indeed I do," cried Davey.

"And what do you say, my men?" asked the captain.

"Boys is a terrible nuisance, as Ben would say," remarked Red Beard, "but I don't think this little shaver's going to give us much trouble. Don't make him sign at all, captain; he's told us fair and square enough all he means to do and not to do, and I vote we let him go. He ain't like that Tom Cat that Ben's engaged with. There's not one of us as won't have to keep an eye on 'him;' he's a black one in more ways than one."

"He'll be several shades lighter by the time Ben's done with him," laughed the captain.

"When do we sail?" asked Spankle, a tall, middle-aged man with sly, greenish eyes, and a constant smile.

"To-morrow morning," replied the captain, "or rather this morning, for we're well into the small hours now."

"Do you take the Tom Cat with you, sir?" inquired Red Beard.

"Yes, I daren't leave him behind."

"And Davey Coleman?"

"Davey stays here with Johnnie and Ben."

"Mayn't I stay instead of Ben this time, captain?" asked Spankle. "I'm sure it's my turn to lie by ashore. 'Taint fair to put more work on one than an—"

"Silence!" thundered the captain, interrupting the grumbler by turning and sternly confronting him. "I allow no complaining and no interference. It's a mark of special confidence when I trust a man to stay behind here instead of sailing with me, and it will be time enough for you to ask for the privilege when you've acted so as to deserve it."

Spankle did not dare reply to the captain's sharp rebuke, but his little sly, green-grey eyes flashed fire for a moment, and his fixed smile looked far more wicked than a frown.

The captain turned to Johnnie.

"Go, Johnnie," said he, "and see if Ben has got through with Tom, for it's time we were moving. The tide will be high now, and the boat afloat at our back door."

Johnnie disappeared, but came back in a minute, followed by Ben and Tom, the latter so changed in appearance that Davey hardly knew him. His skin was clean and clear, his hair cropped close to his head, and he was dressed in a loose, rough sailor suit, which somewhat hid his deformity. He looked very sulky and cross, however, and made no answer when the captain said laughingly—

"Come, come, Thomas Hughes, you've walked out of Ben Rait's hands as taut and trim as you can be, and you do him vast credit, I will say. Now bid good-bye to Davey, and come along with me."

"Say good-bye to Davey?" repeated Tom. "Why, isn't Davey going too? Then I won't neither; me and him shall stay behind together."

"What! Another?" roared the captain. "Any more mutineering and my cat-o'-nine-tails will teach you what's what, you rascal! Now hold your tongue, and follow Red Beard and Spankle and the rest. No! You needn't look out for Ben; he's not coming; you'll have to wash yourself in future, and if you don't do it proper, I'll have you swabbed down with my deck every morning, till you learn to mend your manners. Good-night, Davey, boy! Good-night to you, Ben and Johnnie! Lie close, and don't be going out in the daytime, unless it's to places where you're not known, and then only for real need and good reason."

"I'd like to come and see you off in the boat, if I might," said Davey, "though how a boat can get near this place I can't imagine. Why, there's no water anywhere within a mile of it, is there?"

"That's all you know about it," replied the captain, "but you may come with us if you wish, and see where we keep our back door; and Johnnie, you'd better come too, for Davey would never find his way home alone."

So saying, the captain, carrying a lantern, joined his men in the corridor outside the second entrance to the large cave, this second opening being exactly opposite to the one through which Tom and Davey had played spy.

Davey followed, holding Johnnie's arm, for the way was full of stones and very unequal. Down the narrow winding corridor the little procession went, through cave after cave, some lofty and roomy, some very small; through great arched tunnels where stalactites hung like icicles, and water dripped from springs in the rocks above.

On went the little company along the winding way, but Davey noticed that all these caves and passages led more or less down-hill, and at last a blast of fresh, sweet, cool air proved to Davey that they were nearing the end of their underground journey.

Another moment and they stood on a little platform of rock, almost at the head of a small creek or inlet of the sea. This ran up a narrow cleft in the cliff, which just here jutted out into a bold headland, at whose base, even at low tide, there was no beach, but only a narrow line of rough, jagged rocks. The tide was at flood, and a boat moored to the platform was heaving gently up and down.

"There," said the captain, in a hushed voice, "this is our back door, and here there's no admittance except on business. No one knows of it but ourselves, and even the Preventive men can't see us here, the place is so sheltered under the cliff. Now Tom, tumble in. There's a place in the bow where you can sit. Now my men, give way; the tide's just on the turn, and will carry us out easy."