gs and a leather wallet well worth ninepence farthing."

Dick's heart smote him at what he heard. Until that moment he had not
perhaps thought twice of the poor skipper who had been ruined by the
loss of the _Good Hope_; so careless, in those days, were men who wore
arms of the goods and interests of their inferiors. But this sudden
encounter reminded him sharply of the high-handed manner and ill-ending
of his enterprise; and both he and Lawless turned their heads the other
way, to avoid the chance of recognition.

The ship's dog had, however, made his escape from the wreck and found
his way back again to Shoreby. He was now at Arblaster's heels, and
suddenly sniffing and pricking his ears, he darted forward and began to
bark furiously at the two sham friars.

His master unsteadily followed him.

"Hey, shipmates!" he cried. "Have ye ever a penny piece for a poor old
shipman, clean destroyed by pirates? I am a man that would have paid for
you both o' Thursday morning; and now here I be, o' Saturday night,
begging for a flagon of ale! Ask my man Tom, if ye misdoubt me. Seven
pieces of good Gascon wine, a ship that was mine own, and was my
father's before me, a Blessed Mary of plane-tree wood and parcel-gilt,
and thirteen pounds in gold and silver. Hey! what say ye? A man that
fought the French, too; for I have fought the French; I have cut more
French throats upon the high seas than ever a man that sails out of
Dartmouth. Come, a penny piece."

Neither Dick nor Lawless durst answer him a word, lest he should
recognise their voices; and they stood there as helpless as a ship
ashore, not knowing where to turn nor what to hope.

"Are ye dumb, boy?" inquired the skipper. "Mates," he added, with a
hiccup, "they be dumb. I like not this manner of discourtesy; for an a
man be dumb, so be as he's courteous, he will still speak when he was
spoken to, methinks."

By this time the sailor, Tom, who was a man of great personal strength,
seemed to have conceived some suspicion of these two speechless figures;
and being soberer than his captain, stepped suddenly before him, took
Lawless roughly by the shoulder, and asked him, with an oath, what ailed
him that he held his tongue. To this the outlaw, thinking all was over,
made answer by a wrestling feint that stretched the sailor on the sand,
and, calling upon Dick to follow him, took to his heels among the
lumber.

The affair passed in a second. Before Dick could run at all, Ar