ee, although
I'm splittin', I don't want to get my friends into trouble, and so I got
you to promise; an' I trust to yer word, Mr Thorwald--you bein' a
gen'lmun. This is how it is. Young Henry Stuart thinks that although
Gascoyne is a pirate, or, rather, _was_ a pirate, he don't deserve to be
hanged. 'Cause why? Firstly, he never committed no murder; secondly,
he saved the lives o' some of your people--Alice Mason among the rest;
and, thirdly, he's an old friend o' the family as has done 'em good
sarvice long ago. So Henry's made up his mind that, as Gascoyne's sure
to be hanged if he's tried, it's his duty to prewent that there from
happenin' of. Now, ye see, Gascoyne is quite willin' to escape--"

"Hah! the villain!" exclaimed Ole; "I was sure of that. I knew well
enough that all his smooth-tongued humility was hypocrisy. I'm sorry
for Henry, and don't wish to thwart him; but it's clearly my duty to
prevent this escape if I can."

"So I think, sir," said Bumpus; "so I think. That's just w'at I said to
myself w'en I made up my mind for to split. Gascoyne bein' willin'
then, Henry has bribed the jailer, and he intends to open the jail door
for him at twelve o'clock this night, and he'll know w'at to do with his
legs w'en he's got 'em free."

"But how am I to prevent his escape if I do not set a strong guard over
the prison?" exclaimed Ole, in an excited manner. "If he once gets into
the mountains I might as well try to catch a hare."

"All fair and softly, Mr Thorwald. Don't take on so. It ain't two
o'clock yet; we've lots o' time. Henry has arranged to get a boat ready
for him. At twelve o'clock to-night the doors will be opened and he'll
start for the boat. It will lie concealed among the rocks off the Long
Point. There's no mistakin' the spot, just west of the village; an' if
you place your niggers there you'll have as good a chance as need be to
nab 'em. Indeed, there's _two_ boats to be in waitin' for the pirate
captain and his friends--set 'em up!"

"And where is the second boat to be hidden?" asked Ole.

"I'm not sure of the exact spot, but it can't be very far off from the
tother, cer'nly not a hundred miles," said Bumpus with a grin. "Now,
wot I want is, that if ye get hold of the pirate ye'll be content, an'
not go an' peach on Henry an' his comrades. They'll be so ashamed o'
themselves at bein' nabbed in the wery act that they'll give it up as a
bad job. Besides, ye can then go an'