course I don't mean that he's to be killed!"

"In coorse not. Who is he?"

"Ole Thorwald."

"Wot! the descendant o' the Sea Kings, as he calls himself?"

"The same," said Henry, laughing at the look of surprise with which
Bumpus received this information.

"What has _he_ bin an' done?"

"He has done nothing as yet," said Henry; "but he will, certainly thwart
our schemes if he hears of them. He has an inveterate ill-will to my
poor father;" (Henry lowered his voice as he proceeded,) "and I know has
suspicions that we are concocting some plan to enable him to escape, and
watches us accordingly. I find him constantly hanging about the jail.
Alas! if he knew how thoroughly determined Gascoyne is to refuse
deliverance unless it comes from the proper source, he would keep his
mind more at ease."

"Don't you think if you wos to tell him that Gascoyne _is_ yer father he
would side with us?" suggested Bumpus.

"Perhaps he would. I _think_ he would; but I dare not risk it. The
easier method will be to outwit him."

"Not an easy thing for to do, I'm afraid, for he's a cute old feller.
How's it to be done?" asked Bumpus.

"By telling him the truth," said Henry; "and _you_ must tell it to him."

"Well, that _is_ a koorious way," said Bumpus with a broad grin.

"But not the whole truth," continued Henry. "You must just tell him as
much as it is good for him to know, and nothing more; and as the thing
must be done at once, I'll tell you what you have got to say."

Here the young man explained to the attentive Bumpus the course that he
was to follow, and having got him thoroughly to understand his part, he
sent him away to execute it.

Meanwhile he and his mother went in search of Mr Mason, who at the time
was holding a consultation with the chiefs of the native village, near
the site of his burnt cottage. The consultation had just been concluded
when they reached the spot, and the missionary was conversing with the
native carpenter who superintended the erection of his new home.

After the morning greeting, and a few words of general conversation,
Mrs Stuart said--

"We have come to have a talk with you in private; will you walk to
Alice's tree with us?"

"Certainly, my friend; I hope no new evils are about to befall us," said
the missionary, who was startled by the serious countenances of the
mother and son, for he was ignorant of the close relation in which they
stood to Gascoyne, as, indeed, was every on