Part 2 (1/2)

The little place was in confusion The shutters were down, but the shop had not been tidied, and Mrs MacAlister herself, when she came forward to serve her custo the matter, Mrs MacAlister?' asked Marjorie, while the others looked at the untidy shop in surprise

'Indeed, Miss Marjorie, I will just be havingthe post-box and taking away a lot of the letters,' and the wo in Gaelic, while the children crowded together open-eyed

'No, Master Reggie--no, Miss Marjorie; do not be touching anything,'

said Mrs MacAlister hurriedly, as they approached the shattered letter-box; 'it hass all to remain as it iss until the chief constable and the laird hev seen it; and they will be bringing the Sheriff from Stornwell; it iss an unlucky day for a poor wo,' said Marjorie; 'I hope they'll catch the thief, Mrs MacAlister'

Mr Stewart, accoer and the island constable, was approaching the door, so the young people trooped out into the street, feeling greatly excited

'Who do you think has done it, Allan?' asked Tricksy in an awestruck voice

Allan did not answer, and Reggie said, 'How can he tell, Tricksy?'

somewhat curtly

Tricksy subsided, and a cart laden with peats coive them a 'lift'

The man helped Tricksy into the cart, and the others scra the peats

'It's a dreadful business this,' said Marjorie, her eyes shi+ning brighter and bluer with excite has ever happened with us before,' said Allan; 'our people have always had the credit of being very honest'

'Who can it have been?' said Ha for a minute

'I can't believe that any of our people would have done it'

'There will be no end of a row,' said Reggie, speaking for the first time 'Father will have his work cut out for hi here, and everything,' said Marjorie

'Hoill you like to ain, Tricksy?'

There was no reply

Tricksy had fallen asleep a the peats, her head pillowed upon her ar over her face

The others began to realise how sleepy they were, after having risen before sunrise and spent several hours in the strong sea air, and in spite of excite and finally halted at the gates of Ardnavoir, the manor-house of the island of Inchkerra

CHAPTER II

THE PIRATES' DEN

'Neil, old fellow,' Allan was saying, 'I wonder how '