Part 27 (1/2)

But the hint was not taken. Another b.u.mper was filled and handed to Davy Spink, who had been eyeing the crew of the boat with great suspicion. He accepted the cup, nodded curtly, and said--

”Here's t'ye, gentlemen, no forgettin' the fair leddy in the stern-sheets.”

While he was drinking the gin the lieutenant turned to his men--

”Get out the keg, lads, from which that came, and refill the flask.

Hold it well up in the moonlight, and see that ye don't spill a single drop, as you value your lives. Hey! my man, what ails you? Does the gin disagree with your stomach, or have you never seen a smuggled keg of spirits before, that you stare at it as if it were a keg of ghosts!”

The latter part of this speech was addressed to Sw.a.n.kie, who no sooner beheld the keg than his eyes opened up until they resembled two great oysters. His mouth slowly followed suit. Davy Spink's attention having been attracted, he became subject to similar alterations of visage.

”Hallo!” cried the captain, while the whole crew burst into a laugh, ”you must have given them poison. Have you a stomach-pump, doctor?” he said, turning hastily to Ruby.

”No, nothing but a penknife and a tobacco-stopper. If they're of any use to you--”

He was interrupted by a loud laugh from Big Sw.a.n.kie, who quickly recovered his presence of mind, and declared that he had never tasted such capital stuff in his life.

”Have ye much o't, sir?”

”O yes, a good deal. I have _two_ kegs of it” (the lieutenant grinned very hard at this point), ”and we expect to get a little more to-night.”

”Ha!” exclaimed Davy Spink, ”there's no doot plenty o't in the coves hereaway, for they're an awfu' smugglin' set. Whan did ye find the twa kegs, noo, if I may ask?”

”Oh, certainly. I got them not more than an hour ago.”

The smugglers glanced at each other and were struck dumb; but they were now too much on their guard to let any further evidence of surprise escape them.

”Weel, I wush ye success, sirs,” said Sw.a.n.kie, sitting down to his oar.

”It's likely ye'll come across mair if ye try d.i.c.kmont's Den. There's usually somethin' hidden thereaboots.”

”Thank you, friend, for the hint,” said the lieutenant, as he took his place at the tiller-ropes, ”but I shall have a look at the Gaylet Cove, I think, this evening.”

”What! the Gaylet Cove?” cried Spink. ”Ye might as weel look for kegs at the bottom o' the deep sea.”

”Perhaps so; nevertheless, I have taken a fancy to go there. If I find nothing, I will take a look into the _Forbidden Cave_.”

”The Forbidden Cave!” almost howled Sw.a.n.kie. ”Wha iver heard o'

smugglers hidin' onything there? The air in't wad pushen a rotten.”

”Perhaps it would, yet I mean to try.”

”Weel-a-weel, ye may try, but ye might as weel seek for kegs o' gin on the Bell Rock.”

”Ha! it's not the first time that strange things have been found on the Bell Rock,” said Ruby suddenly. ”I have heard of _jewels_, even, being discovered there.”

”Give way, men; shove off,” cried the lieutenant. ”A pleasant pull to you, lads. Good night.”

The two boats parted, and while the lieutenant and his friends made for the sh.o.r.e, the smugglers rowed towards Arbroath in a state of mingled amazement and despair at what they had heard and seen.