into my boat. It would kill you if you fell
into the boat. You must drop into the water."

She shuddered, and felt like screaming.

"But it will be easy to drop into the water; you can't hurt yourself,
and I shall be there. My boat will be anchored close by, and we can
easily reach it."

"Drop into the water!" said poor Kate.

"But I will be there, you know," said Dickory.

She looked down upon the ledge, and then she looked below it to the
water, which was idly flapping against the side of the vessel.

"Is it the only way?" said she.

"It is the only way," he answered, speaking very earnestly. "You must
not wait for your father; from what I hear, I fear he has been detained
against his will. By nine o'clock it will be dark enough."

"And what must I do?" she said, feeling cold as she spoke.

"Listen to every word," he answered. "This is what you must do. You know
the sound of the bell in the tower of the new church?"

"Oh, yes," said she, "I hear it often."

"And you will not confound it with the bell in the old church?"

"Oh, no!" said she; "it is very different, and generally they strike far
apart."

"Yes," said he, "the old one strikes first; and when you hear it, it
will be quite dark, and you can slip over the rail and stand on this
ledge, as I am doing; then keep fast hold of this rope and you can slip
farther down and sit on the ledge and wait until the clock of the new
church begins to strike nine. Then you must get off the ledge and hang
by your two hands. When you hear the last stroke of nine, you must let
go and drop. I shall be there."

"But if you shouldn't be there, Dickory? Couldn't you whistle, couldn't
you call gently?"

"No," said Dickory; "if I did that, their sharp ears would hear and
lanterns would be flashed on us, and perhaps things would be cast down
upon us. That would be the quickest way of getting rid of you."

"But, Dickory," she said, after a moment's silence, "it is terrible
about my father and Ben Greenway. Why don't they come back? What's the
matter with them?"

He hesitated a little before answering.

"From what I heard, I think there is some trouble on shore, and that's
the reason why your father has not come for you as soon as he expected.
But he thinks you safe with Ben Greenway. Now what we have to do is to
get away from this vessel; and then if she sails and leaves your father
and Ben Greenway, it will be a good thing. These fellows are rascals,
and no hones