d after waiting a long
hour Tom said, "Look here, boys, something unforeseen has stopped
him--and it's something serious too. I expect the old man has smelt a
rat, or Yaspard has had qualms of conscience."

"He'd have come and told us if _that_ were it," said Harry promptly.

"Anyway," Tom replied, "he hasn't come; and it does not look as if he
were coming, and we can't sit here all night doing nothing. So I vote
we proceed without Sir Viking."

"He would not like it; and it is his quest, you know," Harry laughingly
made answer.

"_His_ quest, but remember it is also _my_ what-you-call-am--little
game. Mind you I discovered the seal for myself, and I meant the job
of taking her to be our job. Father said it might have been better if
Yaspard had less to do with it. On the whole, boys, I don't think we
can do better than start and reconnoitre, and take whatever chance
comes our way."

The others agreed, and, thinking it best not to venture up the voe,
they decided to moor their boat at some safe place on the other side of
Boden and nearer Trullyabister. "So said so done" was the way of those
lads, and about the time when Yaspard and Fred were falling asleep,
thoroughly tired out, the Mitchells, Tom, and Gloy were stealthily
creeping up the hill to the old Ha'-hoose.

"We must be careful and spry," quoth Tom, "for the ogre 'walks' like a
ghost o' nights, as I know to my cost." Yaspard had described the
ruins to them, and they knew all about the passage leading to the
haunted room. _His_ plan for liberating the captives had been their
plan, since no better could be; but they were not provided with the
tools he meant to bring, and could not therefore carry out the
programme as at first arranged.

But those boys were not often at their wits' end, and whatever
substitutes for sacks, saws, and shovels suggested themselves as
available were carried with them from the boat. These substitutes
consisted of a piece of sail-cloth and some bits of hard wood, an
owzkerry[1] and the boat-hook. They also brought away some stout rope,
and a knife which had helped to end the career of many an aspiring
fish. They were not without hope of finding a spade lying "handy"
somewhere in the vicinity of the house; so that, on the whole, the
young marauders were not so badly off for the sinews of war.

They met with no adventure by the way, nor saw they the least sign to
indicate that either of the night-roving inhabitants of Tr