hat works you up, like you are now. Come, sit
down.' He led him to a seat, and kneeling at his feet, took his hand in
both of his. 'Don't give in so, my old feller. Don't you know, when we
were boys, how we all looked up to you; and although I could have doubled
you up, with my big limbs, yet you always had the mastery over me. Ha! ha!
Tim, don't you remember the old schoolmaster, too? Hallo! what now?'

Craig leaned his head upon Jones' shoulder and sobbed aloud. Don't talk of
those days, Bill; it'll drive me mad. Oh! if I was a boy again! But no,
no; I'm a fool,' exclaimed he, springing up, apparently swallowing his
emotion at one fierce gulp, and in an instant becoming as hardened as
ever. 'Am I crazy, to-night, or _what_ ails me, that I've become as
white-livered as a girl? Where's the grog? Give us a sup; and we'll see
what's to be done.'

'There, now you talk right,' said Jones, putting his hand in his
coat-pocket and drawing out a small bottle, cased in leather; 'that'll
wake you up; and now to business. You hav'n't told me what's to be did,
and who you'll go with, Grosket, or Rust.'

'Rust,' said Craig, abruptly; 'he's our man. He can bleed; Enoch can't.
_He_ never fails in what he wants to do; Enoch _does_; but they are both
devils incarnate. I'd rather fight against ten other men than either of
them; but rather against Enoch than Mike Rust.'

'Well, what is it? He told you all about it. I couldn't hear what he
said.'

'He's been on the prowl for two days: God knows what he's arter; but he
wants us to break in a house and steal a girl.'

'The profligate willain!' exclaimed Mr. Jones, with an air of great
horror; 'I'll tell his father of him!'

'It's only a child.'

'Oh! that alters the case,' said Mr. Jones, 'Then I'll tell his wife.
Well?'

'We are to go to the house, get the girl at all hazards, rob the house if
we choose, and bring _her_ here. What he wants of her, who she is, is more
than I know. 'You are to get her, and ask no questions,' that's what he
said.'

'Who's in the house?'

'Only an old man and a woman.'

'The man?--is he used up, or what?'

'He's a bull-dog,' was the laconic reply.

'We'll want _them_ then,' said Jones, pointing to a closet which was
partly open, showing several pairs of pistols on a shelf.

'I suppose so. Bring 'em out, and look at the locks; not the
flintlocks--it's a wet night; get the others. We must have no trifling.'

Jones made no other reply than to