ne so. It is true: the
swine! not more than an hour, in verity. How could it have come so
soon to your honour's ears? This morning, indeed, they came from the
town in a cart, and planted the great gibbet on Scarthey Point, at low
water. And to-night they brought the body, all bound in irons, and
from a boat, for it was high tide, they riveted it on the chain. And
it is to remain for ever, your honour--so they say."

"Strange," murmured Sir Adrian to himself, gazing seaward with
awestruck eyes. "And did you," he asked, "hear its creaking, Renny, as
it swayed in the wind?"

Again Rene cast a quick glance of alarm at his master. The master had
a singular manner with him to-night! Then edging closer to him he
whispered in his ear:

"They say it is to hang for ever. There is a warning to those who
would interfere with this justice of theirs. But, your honour, there
came one to the island to-day, I do not know if your honour knows him,
the captain's second on that vessel of misfortune. And I believe, your
honour, the dawn will never see that poor, black body hanging over
yonder like a scarecrow, to spoil our view. This man, this brave
mariner, Curwen is his name, he is mad furious with us all! He has
just but come from hearing of his captain's fate, and he is ready to
kill us, that we let him be murdered without breaking some heads for
him. Faith, if it could have done any good, it is not I that would
have balanced about it! But, as I told him, there was no use running
one's own head into a loop of rope when that would please nobody but
Mr. the Judge. But he is not to be reasoned with. He is like a wild
animal. When I left him," said Rene, dropping his voice still lower,
"he was knocking a coffin together out of the old sea wood on
Scarthey. He said his captain would rest better in those boards that
were seasoned with salt water. And when I went away, your honour, and
left him hammering there--faith, I thought that the coffin was like to
be seasoned by another kind of salt water too."

His face twitched and the ready tears sprang to his own eyes which,
unashamed, he now wiped with his sleeve after his custom. But Sir
Adrian's mind was still drifting in distant ghastly companionship.

"How the wind blows!" he said, and shuddered a little. "How the poor
body must sway in the wind, and the chains creak."

"If it can make any difference to the poor captain he will lie in
peace to-night, please God," said Rene.

"Ay," sai