've been in sech a way about you! I made sure you'd
been and drownded yourself, and here have I been sitting hours, fully
expecting to see your white ghost coming up the dark path from off the
sea."

"Don't be disappointed," said Aleck, merrily; "but, tell me," he
whispered, "has uncle gone to bed?"

"Hours ago, my dear."

"Was he very angry because I hadn't come back?"

"He didn't say so, Master Aleck."

"But he asked if I'd come home?"

"Nay, he didn't."

"He went down into the boat harbour?"

"That he didn't, Master Aleck."

"Then he went up on the cliff to look out with the glass?"

"Nay; he's been writing his eyes out of his head almost, Master Aleck.
Wouldn't come down to his dinner nor yet to his tea, and I had to take
him up something on a tray, or else he wouldn't ha' eat a mossle. I
shall be glad when he's writ his book."

"Then he didn't know I hadn't come?"

"No, I don't believe he thought about you a bit."

"Hah!" sighed Aleck.

"But what have you been a-doing of, Master Aleck? Not fighting again,
have you?"

"You don't see any marks, do you?"

"Nay, I don't see no marks; but whatever did make you so late, Master
Aleck?"

"Someone broke a hole in the boat, and we had to mend it, that's all.
Now cut me some bread and ham for Tom Bodger down at the boat-shelter;
he's nearly starved."

The provender was willingly out and carried down, and soon after Aleck
lay dreaming over the adventures of the day.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

The next morning one of the first things that saluted Aleck's eyes on
making his way up to the look-out on the cliff, was the sloop-of-war
about a couple of miles out, sailing very slowly along, followed at a
short distance by the Revenue cutter, and the lad had not been watching
five minutes before he became aware of the fact that Ness Dunning's work
in the garden was at a standstill, that individual being laid flat upon
his chest watching the vessels' movements through a piece of pipe.

Away to the right on the cliffs, dotted about which lay Eilygugg, there
was a white speck here and a blue speck there, and a little more intent
gazing proved to the lad that there was another speck upon the edge of
the farthest cliff in view.

"Women on the look-out to give warning to the smugglers," thought Aleck,
and he hurried back to see if his uncle was down, and if he were not to
return to the cliff-top with the glass.

But the captain was just descending, and his f