h me as far as the quay.
He had two things that he wished to tell me: the one being that his
written account of Jarl Haffling's remains had been read before the
Society of Antiquaries in Edinburgh, and was to be printed in the
Society's Transactions; the other matter being that proceedings
were, he believed, very soon to be taken against Tom Kinlay for
having appropriated a part of the viking's treasure.

When we had spoken of these matters, there was much for me to tell
the dominie; but as it was too cold for us to stand on the quay, I
took him with me aboard the schooner, where I had some advice to
ask him regarding my course in reporting the loss of the Pilgrim to
the underwriters. Seated in the cabin I told him my adventure, and
showed him all the books and papers I had taken from the barque
before she went down. He gave me what simple instruction I
required, and offered to help me in preparing my report for Lloyd's
agent. With this purpose in view I permitted Mr. Drever to take the
log book ashore with him, as well as the little chest that I had
taken from the captain's room on board the Pilgrim.

I was pushing off from the pier, having put the dominie ashore,
when I heard myself called, and there, at the head of the piers
stood my skipper, Davie Flett, newly arrived from Kirkwall. How
thankful I was to see his familiar stumpy figure again I need not
say.

He was coming down towards me when Carver Kinlay accosted him, and
kept him in conversation. But I approached the two men, taking
Flett by the hand.

He gave little notice to me beyond a very ordinary greeting; but I
saw by his eyes that he was glad enough to see me, only that he
probably had some business to talk over with the pilot. I stood by
them, wishing they would be done.

"And how's business in the islands, Davie?" said Kinlay in an
offhand tone.

"Fairly weel! fairly weel!" said the captain. "Nothing to complain
o', ye ken."

"Ay, I see!" said Carver; "no sae weel but ye might do better, eh?
I'm thinkin', Davie, ye need to open up a new line o' business
among the crofters."

"Ah! and what business is that, pilot?" asked Flett.

"Oh, I dinna just ken that, but ye canna aye sail on the same tack.
Now, supposin', for instance, ye were to start something in the
liquor line. Ye have grand facilities for that, have ye not?"

"I'll not deny that I have the facilities," observed Flett, with a
curious twinkle in his eye. "But ye see, pilot, there's