e safe. All right!" He unmoored the
yacht, and pushing against the cliff sent her out with one vigorous
shove into clear water. The wind caught the sails, and the Fringe flew
merrily over the surface of Lake Katrine. Raft now had leisure to give
some attention to his chief. Spite had thrown himself upon the deck, and
was fairly panting with fatigue, and livid and trembling with passion.
Wrath, terror, disappointment, shame were in turn and in quick
succession reflected from his face. The smuggler had little love for the
chief, but he pitied him now, and in his rough way tried to comfort him.

"Better luck next time, Cap'n," he said. "We've had many a backset
before, and have come out all right again. Cheer up!"

"Backset, indeed!" growled Spite. "It's annihilation! There's not enough
left of Pixiedom to make a decent funeral. But--" and he rolled out a
string of oaths--"I shall have such revenge as they little dream of!
I'll tear the accursed Nurses limb from limb and fling the pieces into
the Brownie camp! Say! what are you putting her head down the lake for?"
he shouted, suddenly starting to his feet.

"That's the way of safety, Sir," answered Raft. "We must make for the
outlet or Orchard Cave at once. Look there at the Natties hard upon the
wake of our fleet. We must get out of their way, Sir!"

"Curse the Natties!" answered Spite fiercely; "and confound you for a
coward! Put her toward Ellen's Isle, I say! I will land there if the
whole Nattie fleet were following us. But they'll not bother us now;
they have better game at present than the Fringe."

Raft's cheeks burned at the word "coward," and he could hardly refrain
from tossing Spite overboard. But even the worst of Pixies have some
reverence for a chief, and Raft was one of the best. Besides, he really
pitied Spite, and was willing to allow for his bitter disappointment. He
saw that he had not yet heard of the escape of the Nurses, and resolved
that he would tell him now, so that he might be persuaded to give up the
trip to Ellen's Isle. It was pretty hard to get started, however, with
the story. Raft hemmed, stammered, and at last began:

"Cap'n, there's no use going to the island now. All's up, there, as
well--"

Spite interrupted him. "No use? What is that to you? Do as you are
bidden, and do not dare to question or comment upon my orders. Change
her course at once, or--or--" he fairly screamed these words, and
stopped suddenly in the midst of his thr