uring which in the deep silence
there was the regular dip of oars, and the lanthorns gently rose and
fell upon the smooth rollers of the tide. Then there was a cry which
went straight to Aleck's heart, so piteous and wailing were its tones:

"Oh, Eben! Eben! Come back, dear; come back!"

It reached him for whom it was intended, and was answered directly from
one of the boats in words which reached Aleck more clearly perhaps then
the listeners below him on the shore.

"All right, lass. Cheer up!"

The order had its effect, for a cheer given heartily in women's voices
was the result; but the lad's thoughts were active.

"Cheer up!" he said to himself. "How can the woman be cheerful with her
husband dragged away like that?"

The lights in the boats gradually grew more distant, while Aleck lay
thinking what he had better do, for the low eager murmur of voices down
below raised a feeling of commiseration in his breast, which made him
feel disposed to go down and try to say a few words of comfort to the
bereaved women, who had evidently been trying hard to save their
husbands. But he felt that he would only be able to act in a poor
bungling way and that the smugglers' people might look upon him as an
intruder and a spy. For though the Den was so short a distance from
Eilygugg, there had been very little intercourse, and that merely at
times when the help of the captain was sought in connection with some
injury or disease.

"They would likely enough turn on and begin fiercely at me," he thought.
"I can do no good;" and he lay still, wanting to get away, but afraid
to stir lest he should be heard.

"They'll go soon," he thought; and he waited patiently, watching the
lights gradually getting fainter and fainter as their distance from the
shore increased.

But the poor women seemed to have seated themselves just beyond reach of
the lapping waves, which kept on breaking regularly in the little cove,
and they, too, were watching the boat-lights till the last gleam had
died away and all was darkness as far as they could see.

Then a low sobbing was heard, half drowned at times by many voices
raised in angry protest, and mingled with threats.

This went on and on, rising, falling, and quite dying out at times, but
only to break out again, having a strange effect upon Aleck, who would
have given anything to get away unnoticed; but every now and then the
silence was so perfect that he felt confident of being heard i