Part 17 (2/2)

Her appearance and incoherent e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns were quite too much for the gentlemen, although their mood had been grave enough the moment before.

They both laughed; and even Signy's tears were checked as she cried out, ”Oh, dear Mam Kirsty, you do look so awfully funny.”

”Take the child to her aunt's room,” said Mr. Adiesen, ”and see that she sleeps there to-night. She must not be alone. And some of you girls there prepare a room for Mr. Garson, and bring in some supper.

Be sharp now.”

He kissed Signy fondly, and had no objections to offer to Fred's doing likewise, but when she disappeared with her nurse he muttered, ”I ought not to have trusted her out of this isle.”

CHAPTER XX.

”FROM THE HANDS OF MY KINSFOLK.”

”What on earth has become of that duffer?” said Tom Holtum, when the _Laulie_ arrived at the geo and no Yaspard appeared either on land or sea.

”We are a little before our time,” Harry remarked; ”but I don't see his boat anywhere along the voe--that is, as far as one can see in the Dim and along such a twisting twirligig of a voe as this.”

”I vote we land and have a nap,” said Bill; but no one seconded him, as they expected the Viking and his followers to appear at any moment.

These did not put in an appearance, however; and after waiting a long hour Tom said, ”Look here, boys, something unforeseen has stopped him--and it's something serious too. I expect the old man has smelt a rat, or Yaspard has had qualms of conscience.”

”He'd have come and told us if _that_ were it,” said Harry promptly.

”Anyway,” Tom replied, ”he hasn't come; and it does not look as if he were coming, and we can't sit here all night doing nothing. So I vote we proceed without Sir Viking.”

”He would not like it; and it is his quest, you know,” Harry laughingly made answer.

”_His_ quest, but remember it is also _my_ what-you-call-am--little game. Mind you I discovered the seal for myself, and I meant the job of taking her to be our job. Father said it might have been better if Yaspard had less to do with it. On the whole, boys, I don't think we can do better than start and reconnoitre, and take whatever chance comes our way.”

The others agreed, and, thinking it best not to venture up the voe, they decided to moor their boat at some safe place on the other side of Boden and nearer Trullyabister. ”So said so done” was the way of those lads, and about the time when Yaspard and Fred were falling asleep, thoroughly tired out, the Mitch.e.l.ls, Tom, and Gloy were stealthily creeping up the hill to the old Ha'-hoose.

”We must be careful and spry,” quoth Tom, ”for the ogre 'walks' like a ghost o' nights, as I know to my cost.” Yaspard had described the ruins to them, and they knew all about the pa.s.sage leading to the haunted room. _His_ plan for liberating the captives had been their plan, since no better could be; but they were not provided with the tools he meant to bring, and could not therefore carry out the programme as at first arranged.

But those boys were not often at their wits' end, and whatever subst.i.tutes for sacks, saws, and shovels suggested themselves as available were carried with them from the boat. These subst.i.tutes consisted of a piece of sail-cloth and some bits of hard wood, an owzkerry[1] and the boat-hook. They also brought away some stout rope, and a knife which had helped to end the career of many an aspiring fish. They were not without hope of finding a spade lying ”handy”

somewhere in the vicinity of the house; so that, on the whole, the young marauders were not so badly off for the sinews of war.

They met with no adventure by the way, nor saw they the least sign to indicate that either of the night-roving inhabitants of Trullyabister were awake. Near the peat-stack they found a spade and a large stout keschie, which they appropriated, as Harry suggested it would make a handy cradle for the baby seal. They stole into the ruined and roofless apartment as Yaspard and the Harrisons had done, and listened for sounds from the prisoners; but all was quiet. There was plenty of daylight by that time, so that they did not have to grope their way about.

”Of course the first thing,” whispered Harry, ”is to make sure they are _there_, so I'll mount as the Viking did.”

He clambered up to the window and took a good look in. It was a pity he did not take as good a look _out_, and then he might have noticed--at a window close by, the window of Mr. Neeven's study--the eyes of that ogre himself watching the boys with grave intentness. But Harry, all unaware of such espionage, came down from the window, and reported Mrs. Sealkie asleep beside her baby in a corner made comfortable with straw and bits of carpet. To work then went the lads, one with a spade, another with a knife; and when these two were tired, the others took their place, so that the job was rapidly accomplished.

Their plan was to remove the lowest board which blocked the way to the pa.s.sage, and to dig from under it a sufficient amount of earth to enable a boy to enter--or a seal to come out.

They meant, _after_ capturing the captive, to hack the board and sc.r.a.pe the earth, so that any one would suppose that the seal had gnawed and clawed her own way to freedom; and they thought it a very clever plan indeed, saying that Yaspard, with whom it originated, was the great inventor and general of the age.

The seal did not sleep while this was going on so near her; but she had partaken of a late and large supper, and did not ”fash” beyond now and then whining in a melancholy voice, which stimulated the young heroes to further efforts, and helped to cover the noise they made.

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