e of heaven save a poor fellow! It's the
press-gang. Got five on us. Help, sir! Shove off with me. I'm too
dead beat to swim."

"I can't help you, Eben. I dare not," cried Aleck. "What could I do?"

"Oh! but, Master Aleck--hark! there's more coming!"

"I tell you I can't. I dare not. They're the King's men, and--"

"Where are you, your honour?" came out of the darkness, to be answered
by a groan and a feeble attempt at a whistle.

"This way, lads," rang out, and there was the rush of feet and a deeper
groan.

"Eben, you've killed the officer," whispered Aleck, in his horror.

"I was on'y fighting for my liberty, master," whispered the man,
hoarsely. "Master Aleck, you don't like me, I know. I'm a bad 'un, I
s'pose; but there's my young wife and the little weans yonder waiting
for me, and when they know--"

The great rough fellow could say no more, but choked.

"Run for it, then," said Aleck; "wrong or right, we'll try and cover
you."

"It's no good, sir," whispered the man; "there's no end of 'em
surrounding us, and I'm as weak now as a rat."

He caught Aleck's hand, as the lad thought, to cling to it imploringly,
but the next moment he held it to his forehead, and it was snatched away
in horror, for the man had evidently been cut down and was bleeding
profusely.

"He's wounded badly, Tom," whispered Aleck, excitedly. "We must help
him now."

"Ay, ay, sir," said Tom, gruffly.

"Ah, the boat! The boat!" panted the smuggler.

"In with you then," said Aleck.

"Nay, nay," whispered Tom. "She arn't afloat, Eben Megg. Here, lay yer
weight on to her if yer can't shove."

"Hi! hallo there!" cried a voice from the direction where the struggle
had taken place.

In response there was the sound of the boat's keel grating on the
water-covered shingle, and the smuggler pressed close up to Aleck's
side.

"Do you hear there?" came from the same quarter. "In the King's name,
stand!"

"Lay yer backs into it," grunted Tom. "Shove, my lads, shove!"

"Come on, my lads! We must have them, whoever they are," came from
apparently close at hand.

"Ah, look sharp! There's a boat."

"Now for it," whispered Tom, and as he grunted hard the boat began to
glide from shingle and water into water alone, while as Aleck thrust
with all his might, knee-deep now, he felt the boat give way, and then
it seemed to him that the smuggler sank down beside him, making a feeble
clutch at his clothes and uttering a