re, Allstone, give me the key and I'll soon bring the
springald to reason."

There was a clink of metal, a step forward, and Hilary's heart sank
within him, for the discovery of his evasion was a matter of course.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

THE WAY TO ESCAPE.

In a moment Hilary mentally saw Sir Henry and the skipper enter his
prison, fancied the shout of alarm, and seemed to see himself, cutlass
in hand, making a dash for his liberty; but the struggle was not then to
be, for, with an angry voice, Sir Henry interposed.

"Martin!" he exclaimed, "let us understand one another once and for all.
Your duty, sir, is to obey me, and I'll be obeyed. As to that boy, I
tell you I'll win him to our side, but it will be at my own good time.
Sir, I order you to come away from that door."

"What!" exclaimed the skipper furiously; "do you know I have a dozen men
ready to take my side if I raise my voice?"

"I neither know nor care," cried Sir Henry hoarsely; "but I do know that
you have sworn allegiance to King Charles Edward, sir, and that you are
my inferior officer in the cause. Disobey me, sir, at your peril."

Hilary grasped his cutlass, and the fighting blood of the Englishman was
making his veins tingle.

"If it comes to a tussle," he thought, "there'll be one on Sir Henry's
side they don't count upon;" and as he thought this he softly raised the
latch, ready to swing open the door and dash out.

But Martin, the skipper, evidently did not care to quarrel with Sir
Henry, and his next words were quite apologetic.

"Why, Sir Henry," he said with a rough laugh, "I believe we two were
getting out of temper, and that won't do, you know."

"I am not out of temper," said Sir Henry; "but I'll be obeyed, sir."

"And so you shall be, Sir Henry. It's all right, and I'll say no more
about it, only that it's dangerous leaving a young fellow like that shut
up. These boys are as active as monkeys, and we might return at any
time and find the young rascal gone. But you'll do your best to bring
him round?"

"I will," replied Sir Henry, "for more reasons than one. Look here,
Martin, if I spoke too angrily to you just now I beg your pardon, but
you touch upon a tender point when you talk of rough measures towards
that boy. I told you that he was my child's companion years ago--in
fact, I used to look upon him quite as a son. There," he added hastily,
"you may trust me to do my best. Good-night."

"Good-night, Sir Henry, g