The boat was gone.

'Comes of not having fastened her securely,'. said Allan; 'the current has carried her away.'

'What shall we do?' said Marjorie. 'We'll have every one coming to the island. Hide Neil; let's pile all the heather on the top of him----'

'What's the matter?' cried Neil from the hut. 'Why are you waiting?'

'The boat's gone,' they cried.

Neil came out.

'Mine's still there, on the other side,' he said. 'Take her, and some of you can come back for me.'

'Oh, Neil, we couldn't do that! What if any one were to come in the meanwhile?'

'We must risk it. It will be better than bringing the whole boat-load upon us. Quick, get in; they will be shoving down the boat.'

In another minute they had pushed off, leaving Neil behind.

When the boat left the island the figures on sh.o.r.e stood still and waited; and half-way across Marjorie waved her handkerchief.

'It's Father,' said Tricksy, 'with Mr. Graham and Duncan and a lot of others; and there's Laddie jumping about and barking.'

'Allan,' said Marjorie, touching his arm, 'there's Andrew MacPeters, do you see him? standing behind the others.'

The boat glided in beside the landing stones, while a row of anxious faces watched and waited.

'Down, Laddie,' said Mr. Stewart, as the collie rushed forward with a joyful welcome. 'So there you are,' he said to the young people. 'You are not cold, are you?'

'We're all right, Father,' said Allan. 'We landed on that island yesterday evening and we were surrounded by the tide-way so we could not return. I hope Mother was not anxious. We thought you would rather we stayed there than tried to cross when the current was flowing.'

'You were quite right not to try to get back under these circ.u.mstances,' said Mr. Stewart gravely; and the young people knew that he had been anxious, although he did not wish to blame them.

Mr. Graham said nothing, but after his eyes had travelled over the group, and he had, as Tricksy afterwards expressed it, 'counted his boys,' he placed himself between them and set off in the direction of Ardnavoir, still without speaking except to ask them whether they had wet feet.

Reggie, as the quickest runner, was sent on ahead to tell his mother that they had returned, and a brisk walk brought them all to the house.

'By the way,' said Mr. Stewart as the young people were refreshing themselves with a good breakfast; 'what man was that who was with you on the island?'

A startled movement went round the group, and Allan looked at his father without replying.

'That man who helped you with the boat,' said Mr. Stewart; 'he stayed behind after you left; who was he?'

CHAPTER XIII

ANDREW MACPETERS

For a moment no one stirred; then Allan braced himself to meet the difficulty.

'I'm sorry, Father; but I can't tell you that,' he said.

Mr. Stewart looked at him in astonishment.

'You can't tell me? You mean you don't know?'

Allan was silent.

Mr. Stewart waited.

Tricksy crept closer to Marjorie and trembled with dismay.

'You a.s.sociate with people that you cannot tell your parents about,'

said Mr. Stewart in great displeasure; 'and you allow him to a.s.sociate with your little sister and with Marjorie. I am sorry that I must forbid the use of the boat until you tell me who was with you this morning.'

Allan waited with a white face until his father had left the room; then he turned to the others.

'No one is to let out who it was,' he said. 'You have all signed the Compact, and any one breaking it will have me to reckon with.'

Reggie's brown face wore an expression which showed that he, at least, meant to be trustworthy; and Marjorie's lips set themselves firmly.

The Grahams, major and minor, had said little, but now Harry's eyes sparkled, and Gerald flushed, as he always did when he was trying to be brave.

'But, Allan,' said Tricksy in a trembling voice, 'wouldn't it be better to tell Father about it and ask him to let us have the boat for Neil?

We must get him away from the island, you know.'

'Can't tell Pater, Tricksy,' replied Allan. 'It would be all right if they hadn't made him a Justice of the Peace; that's some kind of a judge, you know. He couldn't help any one like Neil; indeed I'm not sure that he wouldn't have to telegraph for the Sheriff and let him know that Neil is here, and it would be a dreadful thing for Father to have to do that.'

'Then how are we going to get Neil away from the Den,' said Tricksy.

'They'll find him if he stays there.'

'Allan,' said Marjorie firmly, 'Hamish and I will go. We haven't been forbidden the use of the boat.'

'We'll go too,' said Harry. 'We aren't his children, and Mr. Stewart didn't say anything to us.'

'All right, Marjorie,' said Allan; 'you'd better all go, for Neil's old boat is pretty heavy to get through the water. Quick, there isn't a minute to lose.'

Little was said as the old herring-boat was pushed off and manned, for even Harry was feeling subdued.

'It's all right, Neil,' said Marjorie as the boat landed and Neil looked inquiringly for the others; 'they've been kept at home by their father. We'll land you at the Skegness Cliffs as there's least chance of being seen there.'

The pa.s.sage was accomplished without incident, but as Neil stood up to spring ash.o.r.e Hamish uttered an exclamation and pointed to the top of the cliff. All looked up. A man was standing on the verge, and looking down.

'It's Andrew MacPeters again,' said Hamish.

'Let's land somewhere else,' said Marjorie.