ood-night," said the skipper effusively. "I'll
trust you. Good-night."

Sir Henry's steps were heard to die away, and so silent was everything
that Hilary concluded that the skipper must have also gone; but just as
he had made up his mind that this was the case some one uttered an oath.

"Give me the keys, Allstone," Hilary heard the next moment; and once
more he concluded that all was over, for there was the jingle of the
iron, and it seemed that now he was left to himself Martin was about to
visit the young prisoner, and try to frighten him into following out his
wishes.

Hilary was in despair, but he made up his mind what to do, and that was
to fling open the door and walk swiftly across the place where the men
were lying about, as soon as he heard the skipper and Allstone go into
the old chapel.

To his dismay, however, the man came straight to the door where Hilary
was standing, raised the latch, opened it, and as the young officer drew
back the heavy door struck him in the chest, but before he could recover
from his surprise there was a sharp bang, with the accompanying rattle
of the great latch, and as a dull echo came from below, the key was
turned, and the lock shot into the stone cheek.

"Curse him and his fine airs!" Hilary heard the skipper say, hoarsely.
"I shall have the young villain bringing the cutter's crew down upon us.
I wish his neck was broken."

"Put him in the top room, then," said Allstone; "he'll break his neck
trying to get away."

"Not he," said the skipper; "those middies can climb like cats. He's
safe enough now, I suppose."

"Oh, yes," said Allstone, "I went and had a look at the window-bars
to-night."

"Safe enough, yes," muttered Hilary, as he heard the departing steps;
"they've locked me up safe enough. Was anything ever so vexatious?"

As he heard the clang of a door he placed his eye to the open keyhole,
and through it he could see into the great kitchen, which now seemed to
be lit only by the glow from a great wood fire, for the shadows danced
on the wall, and when now and then the fire fell together and the flames
danced up more brightly he could make out quite definitely a pair of the
shadows, which were evidently those of a couple of half-recumbent men.

Just on one side too he could plainly see part of a man's leg. No
shadow this, but a limb of some one who had thrown himself upon the
floor; and Hilary rightly judged that the crew of the lugger were
snatching