I should think as many more forward. There
were twenty-three men in the crew. I suppose, altogether, there were some
fifty on board."

"Are you going to make a long stay in Ireland?"

"No; I shall only remain here a week or two. I am the bearer of some
letters from the king to Tyrconnell; and that reminds me that I must be
making my way on to Dublin."

"I will ride in with you," Mr. Davenant said. "I must tell my friends
this news that you bring. It seems to me to be most serious. I will have
a horse round for you here, in half an hour, if that will suit you."

"Perfectly," Colonel L'Estrange replied. "That will just give me time to
walk round to the village, to see the lad you call Larry, for I could not
go without thanking him for the share he had in preserving my life.

"Perhaps you will go down with me, Walter, and show me his house?"

When they reached the shore, they found the whole population of the
village engaged in dragging up the spars, planks, and pieces of timber
with which the rocks were strewn.

"There is Larry," Walter said. "It is evident that there's nothing the
matter with him."

Larry was, indeed, just coming up, dragging a piece of timber behind him;
while, in his left hand, he held a large bundle of fragments of wood, of
different sizes, which, as well as the timber, he was taking home for
firing.

"Larry, come here. The English gentleman wants to speak to you."

The boy dropped his wood, and came up.

"My lad," Colonel L'Estrange said, "I am greatly indebted to you for your
work of last night. Take this," and he placed a purse of ten guineas in
Larry's hand.

"And remember that I am still greatly your debtor, and that if, at any
future time, you should be in a position in which my aid may be useful,
you have only to let me know, and I will stand your friend."

The sum appeared to Larry to be enormous.

"Long life to yer honour, and it's proud I am to have been of service to
such a grand gentleman. It's thankful I am for your kindness, and if ever
you want a boy to do a job for you, it's myself that will be proud to do
it. As to yesterday, I just came because the young squire tould me to,
and thankful I am that he got back safe to shore, for, if we had been
drowned, I don't know whatever I should have said to the squire."

Two days after the shipwreck, Walter and John Whitefoot met at the place
which they had agreed on, when they last saw each other four days before.

"I heard of