ctral against the black sky. At the same time the
roar of the surf broke familiarly on Ruby's ears. He steered close past
the north end of the rock, so close that he could see the rocks, and
knew that it was low water. A gleam of moonlight broke out at the time,
as if to encourage him.

"Now," said Ruby, "you had better go about, for if we carry on at this
rate, in the course we are going, in about an hour you will either be a
dead man on the rocks of Forfar, or enjoying yourself in a Scotch
prison!"

"Ha! ha!" laughed the Frenchman, who immediately gave the order to put
the vessel about; "good, ver good; bot I was not wish to see the
Scottish prison, though I am told the mountains be ver superb."

While he was speaking, the little vessel lay over on her new course, and
Ruby steered again past the north side of the rock. He shaved it so
close that the Frenchman shouted, "_Prenez garde_," and put a pistol to
Ruby's ear.

"Do you think I wish to die?" asked Ruby, with a quiet smile. "Now,
captain, I want to point out the course, so as to make you sure of it.
Bid one of your men take the wheel, and step up on the bulwarks with me,
and I will show you."

This was such a natural remark in the circumstances, and moreover so
naturally expressed, that the Frenchman at once agreed. He ordered a
seaman to take the wheel, and then stepped with Ruby upon the bulwarks
at the stern of the vessel.

"Now, you see the position of the lighthouse," said Ruby, "well, you
must keep your course due east after passing it. If you steer to the
nor'ard o' that, you'll run on the Scotch coast; if you bear away to the
south'ard of it, you'll run a chance, in this state o' the tide, of
getting wrecked among the Farne Islands; so keep her head _due east_."

Ruby said this very impressively; so much so, that the Frenchman looked
at him in surprise.

"Why you so particulare?" he enquired, with a look of suspicion.

"Because I am going to leave you," said Ruby, pointing to the Bell Rock,
which at that moment was not much more than a hundred yards to leeward.
Indeed, it was scarcely so much, for the outlying rock at the northern
end named _Johnny Gray_, lay close under their lee as the vessel passed.
Just then a great wave burst upon it, and, roaring in wild foam over
the ledges, poured into the channels and pools on the other side. For
one instant Ruby's courage wavered, as he gazed at the flood of boiling
foam.

"What you say?" ex