e, Hilary Leigh began to
laugh with all the light-heartedness of a lad, as he mentally said:

"Oh, this is too absurd! I'm in a donkey-cart, and the fellow who is
driving can't make the brute go."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

LIEUTENANT LIPSCOMBE LAYS DOWN THE LAW.

"Say, lads, I'm getting tired of this here," said Tom Tully, bringing
himself to an anchor on a patch of sand; "I'm as hot as I am dry.
Where's our orsifer?"

"I d'no," said another. "Ahoy! Billy Waters, ahoy-y-y!"

"Ahoy!" came from amongst the rocks; and the gunner plodded up wiping
his face, and another of the little party came at the same time from the
other direction.

"Where's Muster Leigh?" said Tom Tully.

"Isn't he along of you?" said Waters.

"No, I ar'n't seen him for ever so long."

Notes were compared, as the hailing brought the rest of the party
together, and it was agreed on all sides that Hilary had gone in amongst
the rocks close by where they were standing.

"I know how it is," growled Tom Tully, "he's having a caulk under the
lee of one of these here stones while we do all the hunting about; and I
can't walk half so well as I used, after being shut up aboard that there
little cutter."

"Oh, no, he wouldn't go to sleep," said the gunner. "He's close here
somewhere. I hope he's had better luck than we, for I ar'n't found
nothing; have you?"

"No, no," arose on all sides.

"Why, there ain't nothin' to find," growled Tom Tully. "I wish I was
aboard. You're chief orsifer when he ar'n't here, Billy Waters. Give
the order and let's go back."

"What, without Mr Leigh?" said the gunner; "that's a likely tale, that
is. Here, come on lads, and let's find him. Ahoy!"

"Ahoy!" came back from the rocks.

"There he is," said one of the men.

"No, my lads, that's only the ecker," said Billy Waters. "Hark ye--
Ahoy!"

"Ahoy!" came back directly.

"Hoy--hoy--hoy-y-y!" shouted the gunner again.

"Hoy--hoy-y-y!" came back.

"Mis' Leigh, ahoy!" roared the gunner.

"Leigh--hoy!" was the response.

"Told you so, my lads; he ar'n't about here. Let's go further on. Now
then, Tom Tully, we must have off some o' that there tail if it's so
heavy it keeps you anchored down. Get up, will you?"

The sailor got up unwillingly, and in obedience to the gunner's orders
they began now, in place of searching for traces of the smugglers, to
look for their missing officer, scattering along, as fate had it,
farther and farther from the sp