alf
an hour he was back again at Dan'l's side, and his face changed from its
grey look to the picture of health.

"I want you to answer me a question if you can," said he. "Does your
friend, Mr. Phoby Geen, wear a peewit's wing-feather in his hat?"

"He does, or did," answered Dan'l; "in one of his hats, at least. Did you
meet the man down there?"

"No; and I've never set eyes on him in my life," said the doctor.
"I just guessed." He laughed cheerful-like, enjoying Dan'l's wonder.
"But this guess," he went on, "changes the campaign a little; and I'll
have to ask you to lie here alone for some while longer--maybe an hour and
more."

He nodded and walked off, cautious at first, but with great strides as
soon as he struck into the cliff-path. When he came in sight of the Folly
he spied a man's figure on the slope there among the furze, and the man
was working up towards the Folly on the side of the hill hidden from
William Sleep's farm.

"Lend me a gun," panted the doctor, running into the farmhouse. "A gun
and a powder-horn, quick! And a lantern and wads, and a spare flint or
two--never mind the shot-flask--" He told what he had seen.
"I'll keep the fellow under my eye now, and all you have to do, Mr.
Tummels, is to take out his boat after sunset and bring her down to Cawse
Ogo."

He caught up the gun and ran out of the cottage, clucking under the hedges
until he came round again to the farther side of the hill; and there he
saw Master Phoby Geen come slamming out of the empty Folly and post down
the slope at a swinging pace towards Cawse Ogo. "And a pretty rage he's
carrying with him I'll wager," said the doctor to himself. "The Lord send
he doesn't stumble upon Dan'l, or I may have to hurt him, which I don't
want, and lose the fun of this. I wouldn't miss it now for five pounds."

His heart jumped for joy when, still following, he saw the man turn down
towards the shore by a track a good quarter of a mile to the right of the
spot where Dan'l lay. He was satisfied now; and creeping back to Dan'l,
he dropped his full length in the bracken and lay and laughed.

"But what's the gun for?" Dan'l demanded.

"You've told me often enough about the seals on this bit of coast.
Well, to-night, my friend, we're going to have some fun with them."

"Doctor, doctor, think of the risk! Besides, I ben't strong enough for
seal-hunting."

"There's no risk," the doctor promised him; "and all the hunting you'll be
ca