eed. The
sooner it's done the better."

While he was speaking, one of the three men opened a large clasp-knife,
and advanced towards Gascoyne.

"Father," said Henry, cutting the rope that bound him, "you are free at
last!"

Gascoyne started; but before he had time to utter the exclamation of
surprise that sprang to his lips, his hand was seized by the muffled
figure that sat at his side.

"O, Gascoyne! forgive us--forgive _me_!" said Mary Stuart, in a
trembling voice. "I did, indeed, know something of what they meant to
do, but I knew nothing of the cruel violence that these bonds--"

"Violence!" cried Dick Price. "I put it to yourself, Mister Gascoyne, if
I didn't treat ye as if ye wos a lamb?"

"Wot a blissin it is for a man to git his mouth open agin, and let his
breath go free," cried Jo Bumpus, with a deep sigh. "Come, Corrie, give
us a cheer--hip! hip! hip!--"

The cheer that followed was stirring, and wonderfully harmonious; for it
was given in a deep bass and a shrill treble, with an intermediate
baritone "Ho!" from Jakolu.

"I know it, Mary--I know it," said Gascoyne; and there was a slight
tremor in his deep voice as he drew his wife towards him, and laid her
head upon his breast.

"You have never done me an evil turn--you have done me nothing but
good--since you were a little child. Heaven bless you, Mary!"

"Now, father," said Henry, "I suppose you have no objection to make your
escape?"

"No need to raise that question, lad," said Gascoyne, with a perplexed
smile. "I am not quite clear as to what my duty is, now that I am free
to go back again and give myself up."

"Go back!--free!" exclaimed John Bumpus, in a tone of withering sarcasm.
"So, Mister Gascoyne, ye've got sich an uncommon cargo o' conceit in ye
yet, that you actually think ye could go back without so much as saying,
By your leave!"

While Jo was speaking, he bared to the shoulder an arm that was the
reverse of infantine, and, holding it up, said, slowly:

"I've often had a sort o' desire, d'ye see, to try whether this bit of a
limb or the one that's round Mrs. Stuart's waist is the strongest. Now,
if _you_ have any desire to settle this question, just try to put, to
shove, this boat's head up into the wind--that's all!"

This was said so emphatically by the pugnacious Bumpus that his
companions laughed, and Corrie cheered in admiration.

"You see," observed Henry, "you need not give yourself any concern as to
this point; y