Part 25 (1/2)

”Noo, Davy,” he said, in a voice that sounded deep and hollow under that vaulted roof, ”oot wi' the kegs. Haste ye, man.”

”'Tis Big Sw.a.n.kie,” whispered Ruby.

”There's nae hurry,” objected the other fisherman, who, we need scarcely inform the reader, was our friend, Davy Spink.

”Nae hurry!” repeated his comrade angrily. ”That's aye yer cry. Half o' oor ventures hae failed because ye object to hurry.”

”Hoot, man! that's enough o't,” said Spink, in the nettled tone of a man who has been a good deal worried. Indeed, the tones of both showed that these few sentences were but the continuation of a quarrel which had begun elsewhere.

”It's plain to me that we must pairt, freen',” said Sw.a.n.kie in a dogged manner, as he lifted a keg out of the boat and placed it on the ground.

”Ay,” exclaimed Spink, with something of a sneer, ”an' d'ye think I'll pairt without a diveesion o' the siller tea-pots and things that ye daurna sell for fear o' bein' fund out?”

”I wonder ye dinna claim half o' the jewels and things as weel,”

retorted Sw.a.n.kie; ”ye hae mair right to _them_, seein' ye had a hand in findin' them.”

”_Me_ a hand in findin' them,” exclaimed Spink, with sudden indignation.

”Was it _me_ that fand the deed body o' the auld man on the Bell Rock?

Na, na, freend. I hae naething to do wi' deed men's jewels.”

”Have ye no?” retorted the other. ”It's strange, then, that ye should entertain such sma' objections to deed men's siller.”

”Weel-a-weel, Sw.a.n.kie, the less we say on thae matters the better.

Here, tak' haud o' the t.i.ther keg.”

The conversation ceased at this stage abruptly. Evidently each had touched on the other's weak point, so both tacitly agreed to drop the subject.

Presently Big Sw.a.n.kie took out a flint and steel, and proceeded to strike a light. It was some some time before the tinder would catch.

At each stroke of the steel a shower of brilliant sparks lit up his countenance for an instant, and this momentary glance showed that its expression was not prepossessing by any means.

Ruby drew Minnie farther into the recess which concealed them, and awaited the result with some anxiety, for he felt that the amount of knowledge with which he had become possessed thus unintentionally, small though it was, was sufficient to justify the smugglers in regarding him as a dangerous enemy.

He had scarcely drawn himself quite within the shadow of the recess, when Sw.a.n.kie succeeded in kindling a torch, which filled the cavern with a lurid light, and revealed its various forms, rendering it, if possible, more mysterious and unearthly than ever.

”Here, Spink,” cried Sw.a.n.kie, who was gradually getting into better humour, ”haud the light, and gie me the spade.”

”Ye better put them behind the rock, far in,” suggested Spink.

The other seemed to entertain this idea for a moment, for he raised the torch above his head, and, advancing into the cave, carefully examined the rocks at the inner end.

Step by step he drew near to the place where Ruby and Minnie were concealed, muttering to himself, as he looked at each spot that might possibly suit his purpose, ”Na, na, the waves wad wash the kegs oot o'

that if it cam' on to blaw.”

He made another step forward, and the light fell almost on the head of Ruby, who felt Minnie's arm tremble. He clenched his hands with that feeling of resolve that comes over a man when he has made up his mind to fight.

Just then an exclamation of surprise escaped from his comrade.