ry, sternly. "Away aft
with the men; and look, Mr Waters, my good fellow, if I go down I trust
to you to retake the cutter."

"All right, sir," said the gunner. "Well, sir, if you will do it,
here's my last words: open your lantern and just touch the end of the
paper, then close and run aft. One touch does it; so go on, and good
luck to you!"

The young officer nodded and took the lantern, while the gunner joined
the men as far aft as they could go. There was something very strange
and unreal to him as he took a couple of steps or so forward, and
listened to the noise of men above, hesitating for the moment as he
thought of the life he was about to destroy, and mentally praying that
Sir Harry Norland might not be near. Then duty reasserted itself, and,
not knowing whether he might not be about to destroy the vessel, and
with it his own life, he slowly opened the door of the lantern.

What was it to be--life and liberty, or death and destruction? He could
not say, but feeling that he ought to stick at nothing to try and retake
the cutter, he held the flame of the wretched purser's dip in the
lantern to the powder-besmeared paper, and there was on the instant an
answering burst of tiny sparks.

CHAPTER FIVE.

A MISSING ENEMY.

As the slow-match began to sputter Hilary drew back, closed the door of
the lantern, and walked backwards aft, towards where the men were
gathered. The desire was strong upon him to run and rush right into the
far corner of the cabin; but he was a king's officer, and the men looked
up to him for example, so he told himself that he could not show the
white feather.

Fortunately he was able to keep up his dignity and retreat in safety to
where the men were crouching down, and, joining them, he too assumed a
reclining position upon the deck, and watched the sparkling of the piece
of paper in the darkness of the forepart of the cutter.

Sparkle, sparkle, sparkle, with plenty of scintillation; like some
little firework made for their amusement, but no sign of the train being
fired.

On deck there was an ominous silence, as if the smugglers had received
warning of the coming danger, and they too were watching for the
explosion.

More sparkling and more bright flashes of light, and yet the train did
not catch. Never had moments seemed to Hilary so long before, and he
felt sure that the slow-match had not been connected with the train, as
it must have fired before now.

Then as h