"But I can't get him down again if he goes off his head, sir, and tries to turn us out of the boat."

The smuggler uttered a low, mocking laugh.

"Bit too strong for yer, eh, Tommy?"

"Ay; but you wouldn't be if I was all here. There; get up then."

Tom's legs rattled on the planks of the boat as he rolled himself off and stood up and listened to the smuggler with a low, deep sigh as he sat up, tried to stand, and sat down again in the bottom of the little craft.

"Bit giddy," he said, apologetically; "things seems to swim round."

He had put his hands up to his head as he spoke. Then suddenly:

"Who tied my head up with a hankychy?"

"I did," growled Tom, surlily, "and just you mind as your missus washes it out and irons it flat for you to give it me agen next time you comes to Rockabie."

"I will, mate," said the smuggler, quietly. "There," he added, after drawing a long, deep breath, "I'm beginning to come right again. Yes, it is a bit dark to-night," he added, after staring about him for a minute or two. Then, uttering a sharp e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n, "Here, quick, put your helm hard up, Master Aleck. Quick, my lad; can't you see where you're going?"

"No," said Aleck, obeying the order quickly, with the result that the sail began to flap, while, as it filled again and the boat careened in the opposite direction, there was a dull, hissing, washing sound, followed by a slap and a hollow thud, as if a quant.i.ty of water had been thrown into a rift.

"Where are we?" said Aleck, who felt startled.

"Running clear now, sir; but in another moment you'd ha' been right on the East Skerries."

"What!" cried Tom.

"Don't holler, mate," said the smuggler, drily. "Mebbe there's one o'

the man-o'-war's boats."

"Running right on the East Skerries! Right you are, messmet. That was the tide going into the Marmaid's Kitchen. Here, I feel as if I'd never been to sea and took bearings in my life, Master Aleck!"

"Yes; what is it?"

"Don't you never trust me again."

"But do you mean to say that you can't see those rocks just abeam, Tom Bodger?"

"Not a rock on 'em, messmet; but I can hear the bladder-wrack washing in and out."

"But you, Master Aleck?"

"I can see it looks a little darker there," replied the lad, "and a little lighter lower down."

"Well, it's amazin', sir. I can see 'em quite plain. I s'pose my eyes must be a little better than yourn through being out so much of a night."

"Smuggling, Eben?" said Aleck, quietly.

The man laughed softly, and, standing up now, holding on by one of the stays, he shaded his eyes and looked about him for some time.

"There's the riding lights of the two King's ships," he said, half aloud, "but I can't see the boats. They'd be giving the rocks about here a wide berth, and you pretty well left 'em behind, Master Aleck.

Now, sir, what are you going to do?"

"Run home, of course," said Aleck.

"Round outside the point, sir?"

"Of course."

"You'd save a good two miles by running close to sh.o.r.e and inside the big island and the point."

"But the rocks?"

"You could steer clear of them, sir."

"But you mean run through the narrows--through the channel?"

"Of course, sir."

"Oh, it couldn't be done," said Aleck, excitedly.

"Easy enough at high water, sir; and that's what it'll be in another hour."

"Have you ever done it, Eben?"

"Often, sir, and in a bigger boat than this."

"Could you steer us safe through?"

The smuggler laughed.

"My father taught me to do it, sir, when I was a little boy."

"It would save an hour?"

"Quite, sir."

"What do you say, Tom? Would you go?"

"Me, sir? I'd go anywhere as Eben Megg dared to steer."

"But it is so dark," said Aleck, hesitating.

"The breaking water makes it lighter, sir, and the sea brimes to-night out yonder. Look, we're getting to where it flashes, where it breaks!"

"To be sure; it's beginning, too, where the boat cuts the water. Come and take the helm then. But, stop; what about the wind?"

"Westerly, sir, and blowing astern of us all the way through."