A VOYAGE IN THE NORTH SEAS. 257 



levelled his gun, and stood looking along the barrel with his finger 

 on the trigger. 



" You are a prompt young fellow, Mr. Arundel, and I like you 

 all the better for it/' said the smuggler, looking with an unquailing 

 eye at the dark muzzle of the gun ; " I accept your conditions at 

 once." Frank depressed the weapon, and let it clown to half-cock. 

 " And now, Sir," said the seaman, when Arundel had thrown his 

 piece over his left arm, " let me give you a proof of my sincerity. 

 You mark that withered willow leaf that hangs from the very top of 

 the branch fourteen or fifteen yards from us, it is not a large mark 

 .." He drew, as he spoke, a pistol from his breast, and firing 

 with the rapidity of thought, struck off the leaf he had pointed out, 

 and then threw the smoking weapon at Arundel's feet. " Your life 

 has just been as much in my hands as mine in yours, you see, Sir ; 

 for anything bigger than a gold doubloon 1 seldom miss," said he, 

 coolly ; " but now let us bear away large, for I'm most damnably 

 mistaken if the captain had not more devilment in his head than he 

 told_ me of." 



There was little need of this dark hint to hasten Arundel's return. 

 He produced the seaman's gun, and after having loaded it and the 

 pistol, they presently emerged from the ravine, Black Bill leading 

 the way at a rapid pace towards a different part of the inlet from that 

 where they had left the boat. From an elevated portion of the cliffs 

 which they first reached, they saw the four men who had been left 

 with the boat, rambling along the shores of the inlet, at about a mile's 

 distance. To Arundel's hurried interrogatory, as to the cause of the 

 captain and Flora not being with them, the smuggler answered 

 nothing, only shrugging up his shoulders ; while a diabolical grin 

 of conscious meaning passed across his features. 



Throwing themselves recklessly down a rugged path by which the 

 cliffs might be descended, they soon reached the beach, and rounding 

 a projecting point of rock, saw at once they must be near the objects 

 of their search. A deep indentation pierced the cliffs, and the sand 

 at their feet, covered with beautiful shells, sloped with a gentle de- 

 clivity towards the quiet waters of the ocean. A small anchor, fixed 

 in the sand, confined the boat within a few yards of the shore. Sud- 

 denly a scream was heard issuing from behind the opposite projection 

 of the rocks which enclosed the little haven, and a few moments after, 

 Flora, with her hat off and her hair flying loosely about her shoulders, 

 rushed forward, pursued at a little distance by Captain Bellamy, bel- 

 lowing out the most horrible oaths and threats. Immediately she 

 perceived Frank and his companion, she fell fainting on the beach, 

 and Bellamy, after a moment's irresolution, struck down towards the 

 boat. Frank instantly threw down his gun and ran to Flora, whom, 

 with all the speed which his contending emotions would permit, he 

 was presently engaged in restoring to animation. Meantime the 

 smuggler, having succeeded in getting between Bellamy and the boat, 

 stood with one foot resting on the little anchor, and his arms folded 

 in the breast of his huge jacket. The captain seemed determined on 

 making a desperate attempt to escape : he approached the smuggler, 

 M.M. No. 3. L 



