'Lead him awa' quaietly up the road till I come to ye,' said Shargar, as
he took the mufflings off the horse's feet. 'An' min' 'at he doesna
tak a nip o' ye. He's some ill for bitin'. I'll be efter ye direckly.
Rorie's saiddlet an' bridled. He only wants his carpet-shune.'

Robert led the horse a few hundred yards, then stopped and waited.
Shargar soon joined him, already mounted on Red Roderick.

'Here's yer bonnet, Robert. It's some foul, I doobt. But I cudna help
it. Gang on, man. Up wi' ye. Maybe I wad hae better keepit Geordie
mysel'. But ye can ride. Ance ye're on, he canna bite ye.'

But Robert needed no encouragement from Shargar. In his present mood
he would have mounted a griffin. He was on horseback in a moment. They
trotted gently through the streets, and out of the town. Once over the
Dee, they gave their horses the rein, and off they went through the dark
drizzle. Before they got half-way they were wet to the skin; but little
did Robert, or Shargar either, care for that. Not many words passed
between them.

'Hoo 'ill ye get the horse (plural) in again, Shargar?' asked Robert.

'Afore I get them back,' answered Shargar, 'they'll be tired eneuch to
gang hame o' themsel's. Gin we had only had the luck to meet Jock!--that
wad hae been gran'.'

'What for that?'

'I wad hae cawed Reid Rorie ower the heid o' 'm, an' left him lyin'--the
coorse villain!'

The horses never flagged till they drew up in the main street of
Stonehaven. Robert ran down to the harbour to make inquiry, and left
Shargar to put them up.

The moon had risen, but the air was so full of vapour that she only
succeeded in melting the darkness a little. The sea rolled in front,
awful in its dreariness, under just light enough to show a something
unlike the land. But the rain had ceased, and the air was clearer.
Robert asked a solitary man, with a telescope in his hand, whether he
was looking out for the Amphitrite. The man asked him gruffly in return
what he knew of her. Possibly the nature of the keg to be put on board
had something to do with his Scotch reply. Robert told him he was a
friend of the captain, had missed the boat, and would give any one five
shillings to put him on board. The man went away and returned with a
companion. After some further questioning and bargaining, they agreed
to take him. Robert loitered about the pier full of impatience. Shargar
joined him.

Day began to break over the waves. They gleamed with a blu