The news spread respecting our exceptionally good fortune; and as soon as the two men had helped to haul the boat right up beyond the reach of the tide, as the grapnel was gone, they ran up to the miners' village and came trooping back with the rest, armed with baskets, dishes, and in some cases only bare-handed, to receive their portions of our big haul.

They gave us a cheer, and soon afterwards we parted, Bob Chowne to sleep at the smuggler's cottage, while I went back to the Bay.

I woke at daylight next morning, and not feeling disposed to sleep, I dressed and started off for the Gap to rouse up Bigley and Bob and propose a bathe; but as I came in sight of the Gap mouth I found Bigley already astir and just going down to the boat.

I shouted and ran down to him waving my towel, to which he answered by waving another, showing that he had risen with a similar idea to my own.

"I thought I would have a bathe, and do some business too," he said; and then, in answer to my inquiring look, "Try and get up the grapnel," he added.

"Oh!" I exclaimed; "but why didn't you rouse up Bob?"

"Rouse up Bob!" he said gruffly. "Go and try and rouse up that block of stone!"

"What! Have you tried?" I said.

"Tried! I've shaken him, and punched him, and done everything I could but drenched him, and that would be a pity. He don't want to get up; so let him lie. Here, help me run the boat down."

I laid hold of one side, we balanced her on an even keel, and as it was down a steep slope we soon ran her into the water, jumped aboard, and began paddling out down the narrow part that formed the bed of the river on the seaward side of the pebble ridge.

The tide was very low, the sun up bright and high, and the water so clear that there was every rock below us so close that it seemed as if we could not go over some of them without touching.

"We'll row out to the buoyed grapnel," said Bigley; "make fast, and while you have your bathe I shall dive down, follow the rope, and see if I can find out how the grapnel has got fast."

"If you can," I said.

"Well, I'm going to try," replied Bigley. "I don't suppose it's above three fathoms deep."

"You can't dive down three fathoms?" I said.

"Can't I?" replied Bigley laughing. "I'm going to show you. Look here!"

He pointed to a big long stone in the bows of the boat weighing some twenty-pounds. To this a thin line was attached, and I saw his meaning at once.

"Yes," I said, "that will do it, only don't forget to let go."

"No fear," he replied; and we paddled on, with the beautiful view of the cliffs opening out as we rowed farther from the shore.

We had nearly a quarter of a mile to go before we struck against the floating boat-hook close to the now exposed rocks, when Bigley threw in his oar, hoisted the rough buoy aboard, unhitched the rope, ran it through the ring-bolt, and hauled on till he had the boat's stem right over the grapnel, which still refused to come; so we made fast.

Bigley then began to undress rapidly, while I proceeded to work more slowly, being curious to watch what he was doing.

I had not long to wait, for after making fast one end of the thin line to the thwart of the boat he poised the stone on the gunwale, leaped in, and then putting his left arm round the grapnel rope he got well hold of the stone, and drew it over to descend with it rapidly to the bottom.

I crept to the bows and looked over to see his white body far below in the clear water, and then he came up again to rub his eyes, pant, and hold on by the side of the boat.

"Why, what's the matter?" I said; "seen a shark?"

"No," he cried, "but I've seen something else. Here, haul up the stone."

"Bother the stone!" I exclaimed, "I came to bathe."

"Haul it up quickly," he said; and I obeyed, and afterwards lifted it on to the gunwale.

He seemed very excited, but he would not speak about what he had seen, only beg me to do what he told me, which was to untie the line from the stone and then make a running noose and put it loosely round.

I did all this, wondering at his mysterious way, but only expecting that it was to fasten round the grapnel so as to pull in a fresh direction.

As soon as I had done he took hold of the loop that was round the stone, drew a long breath, and asked me to lift it over into the water.

This I did, and he went down head-first, while I again watched him below among the waving weeds all indistinct in the troubled sea.

He was down for a full minute as I crouched there with my head over the side. He seemed to be so long that I began to grow alarmed lest he had become entangled, and I was about to haul up the line attached to the stone. I looked down anxiously with my face closer to the surface, but only to make him out in a bleared indistinct manner, and then he shot up like a line of light and swam to the side and held on.

"Thought I shouldn't be able to do it," he said; "but I've got the line round."

"Well, what next?" I said. "But I say, is a grapnel worth all this trouble?"

"A grapnel?" he said with a peculiar smile.

"Yes."

"Wait a minute till I am in the boat."

He climbed in, and came to my side.

"Now," he said; "haul up steadily. I think she'll come."

I tightened the line, and for a moment or two there was a dead resistance. Then something heavy began to stir, and I hauled away steadily, hand over hand.

"I've got it," I said as I gazed down. "It was right in amongst some strong weed. Here it comes."

I pulled away till I had nearly got it to the top, and then Bigley came to my help, reached over, and the object I was dragging up bumped against the boat, slipped out of the noose, and went down rapidly just like a mass of stone.

"What did you fasten the line to that for?" I said.

"What did I do it for, Sep?" he panted. "Didn't you see what it was?"

"No," I said bluntly.

"What did it look like?"

"Box covered with sea-weed," I replied.

"Well, don't you see now?"

"No," I replied.

"Why, Sep, how dull you are this morning!" he cried. "Didn't you see that you had hold of one of your father's silver chests?"

"One of my father's what?" I roared.

"One of the silver chests. Sep, it was over these rocks, against that one, I suppose," he cried, pointing to a huge block just below the surface, and a favourite haunt of conger, "that the Frenchman's boat capsized."

"What, the one with the silver?" I cried.

"Yes, and I believe all the chests are at the bottom there."

"And they were coming back to try for them when the frigate came in sight!" I shouted.

"Yes, yes, yes."

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!" I cried, leaping up in the boat, and waving my arms about like an idiot. "Why, Bigley, it will set father free of all his troubles. Here, I'm half mad. What shall we do? Hold hard a moment: I'm going down to see."

I had only my breeches on, and tearing these off, I stepped on to the gunwale, leaped up, turned over, and dived down into the clear cold water, trying with all my might to reach the bottom, but only describing a curve, and coming up again about twenty feet from the boat.

I swam back to have another try, but Bigley stopped me as I was about to dive off.

"No, no," he said; "it's of no use. You can't get down there without a killick or some other weight."

"But I'm not sure it is the silver," I cried in a despairing tone.

"But I am," he said. "The boxes are lying all about. They look like stones if you stare down, because they are all amongst the weed; but when I got down to feel for the grapnel I was right upon them. It's in amongst them somehow. That was why I came up again and tried to fasten the line round one."

"But are you quite sure, Big?" I said, trembling with eagerness.

"Quite sure," he said. "There can't be any mistake about it. The Frenchman's boat ran on the rock and capsized, and all the chests must have gone to the bottom like a shot."

"And my poor father suffering all that worry, when here lay all his silver at the bottom, close to the shore. Here, what shall we do, Bigley? We must stop and watch it, for fear anybody else should come and find it."

"No fear of that," he said, drawing the rope once more through the ring-bolt, and then securing the boat-hook to the end, and throwing it overboard to act as a buoy. "Here, let's dress and go and tell him."

"Yes, yes," I cried, trembling with eagerness, and hurrying on my clothes, as he did his, we rowed ashore, and after hauling the boat back to its safe place, climbed up the slope, and prepared to walk to the Bay.

"Big," I said; "I'm afraid to leave it. Suppose while we are gone someone goes and takes it all away."

"Ah! Suppose they do," he said. "But it isn't such an easy task. Nobody knows of it but us, Sep, and we can keep the secret."

"You are right," I said. "Come along, and let's make haste and tell him."

We strode along the cliff path that morning faster, I think, than we had ever gone before, and when we came in sight of our place I was going to rush in and tell my father, but something struck me that it would be only fair to let Bigley go, as he had made the discovery, so I told him to go first.

He would not, though, and we went up to the cottage together, to find Kicksey kicking up a dust in the parlour with a broom.

"Is father up yet?" I cried.

"Yes, my dear, hours ago, and half-way to Barnstaple before now."

"What!" I cried.

"He's going to London, my dear, and here's a letter that Sam was to bring over to you if you didn't come back to breakfast."

I tore open the letter and read it in a few moments.

It was very brief, and merely told me that he had had a letter the past night making so stern a demand upon him for money that he had decided to go up to London at once and sell the mine.

"Big," I said dolefully; "we've come too late. What shall we do?"

I gave him the letter to read, and he wrinkled up his brow.

"Go after him and catch him," he cried.

"Yes; but how?"

"I don't know," he panted; "let's try."

"But the silver?"

"Is locked up safely where we found it, lad," he cried. "It is a secret. Come on."

"But how, Big? He is riding."

"Then we must walk. A man can walk down a horse. Now, let's see if it can't be done by boys."



CHAPTER FORTY FIVE.

TRYING AN IMPOSSIBILITY.

We two set out to perform an impossibility: for though, starting together on a long journey, a good steady walker might tire out a horse carrying a man, and in a fortnight's work, before we had got half-way to Barnstaple, I knew that my father would have arranged to catch the coach, and I remembered that the coach would change horses every ten or twelve miles; and as all this forced itself into my mind, I sat down on a stone by the road-side.

"Tired?" said Bigley, wiping the perspiration from his face.

"No, not yet; but I've been thinking, and my thoughts get heavier every moment," I replied.

"What do you mean?" cried Bigley.

"That we cannot do this," I said; "and we should be doing something far more sensible if we go back home, and write a letter to my father. Why, it would get to him days before we could."

Bigley took off his cap and rubbed his ear.

"I'm afraid you are right," he said; "but I don't like to go back."

"Then let's go on to Barnstaple, and write to him from there."

"To be sure!" cried Bigley, jumping at the compromise. "Come along."

"No, I said; it will not do. I've left his letter behind, and I don't know where to write."

"Oh, Sep!" cried Bigley reproachfully. "Then, we must go back."

We stood looking at each other just as we had made a fresh start, and the weariness we were beginning to feel brought with it a strange low-spirited sensation that was depressing in the extreme.

"Come along," I said. "Let's get back, or we shall lose another day before we can get off a letter."

"Wait a minute," said Bigley; "there's the half-way house not a quarter of a mile away. We'll go on there and have some bread and cheese and cider, then we shall be able to walk back more quickly."

It did not take us long to reach the pretty little road-side ale-house, where the first thing I saw was the doctor's pony tied up to the gate by the rough stable or shed.

"Some one ill?" I said. "Shall we tell Doctor Chowne what we were going to do?"

I had hardly spoken these words when my father appeared at the door.

"Why, Sep, Uggleston!" he exclaimed; "you here?"

"Why, father!" I cried, catching him by the arm. "I thought you had gone."

"The pony broke down, my boy," said my father, "and I have had to bring him back here—walking all the way; and I was undecided as to whether I should pay someone to take him home, or lead him myself, and make a fresh start to-morrow."

"Come back," I said with a look full of delight. "He ought to come back, eh, Big?"

Bigley nodded and smiled, and then I eagerly told him all.

"It was Bigley's doing, father," I exclaimed. "He found it out."

"My lad," said my father huskily, "you have saved me, for I could only have sold my property at a terrible loss."

"And you will come back with us, father," I said.

"Come back, my boy? Of course. Why, Bigley, my lad, you have always looked at me as if I felt a grudge against you for being your father's son; now, my boy, I shall always have to look at you as a benefactor, who has saved me from ruin."

Bigley tried to say something about that dreadful night, and the attack on the mine premises, but my father stopped him.

"Never mind about all that," he said; "let's get back and see if you are right, and that it is not a solitary chest which the Frenchmen have left us."

"No fear of that, sir," cried Bigley. "I was down long enough to see that there was quite a lot of them."

"Or of pieces of rock," said my father smiling. "I'm older than you are, my lad, and not so sanguine."

"But I feel so sure, sir," cried Bigley.

"That's right, my lad. I'm glad you do; but you have seen them, I have not."

"But Sep saw them too."

"I saw the box we hauled up," I said; "but I could not be sure about what was at the bottom amongst the rocks and weeds."

Bigley looked so disappointed that my father smiled.

"Come," he cried; "you think I am ungrateful, and throwing cold water upon your discovery, when there is plenty over it as it is. So come, let us assume that the treasure is there, and begin to make our plans about how to recover it."

At the last moment we had been obliged to leave the pony at the little inn, and we were walking steadily back as this conversation went on.

"Well, sir, it will be very easy," said Bigley eagerly.

"Not so easy," said my father. "We shall want a couple of men who can dive."

"Oh no, you will not, sir," replied Bigley. "I have thought it all out. All we shall want will be a clear day with the sea smooth."

"Yes, highly necessary, Bigley," said my father.

"Then we should want a very long smooth pole, and if we could not get one long enough two poles would have to be fished together."

"And then you'd fish for the boxes?" I said.

"No," said Bigley seriously; "you would have to sink the pole just down to where the chests lie, and rig up a block at the top, run a rope through it, hold one end of the rope in the boat to which the pole is made fast, and at the other end have a thick strong bag made of net."

"Well, what then?" said my father.

"Why, then you would put a big pig of lead in the bag, let me take hold of the bag, let the rope run slack, and I should go down to the bottom in an instant. Then I should lift a box into the net-bag and come up, leaving it there for you in the boat to haul it up."

"Yes, that sounds very simple," said my father; "but could you do it?"

"Could I do it!" cried Bigley. "Why, sir, we did get one up to the top without any proper things. I can dive."

"Yes, he can dive, father," I said eagerly. "You need not be afraid about that."

My father looked at us both, and grew very silent, as we trudged on, to reach the cottage at last utterly tired; and though Bigley proposed that we should go on and see whether the buoy we had left was all right, my father said that it might very well wait till morning, and Bigley stayed for the night.

"I thought your father would have been ever so much more eager and excited about it," said Bigley, speaking to me from the inner room where he slept, the door having been left open.

"He is excited," I said in a low voice, for across the passage I could hear him walking up and down in his own room; and that kept on till I dropped off asleep, and dreamed that the French had landed with four large boats and a great pole which they lowered down into the sea. Then they seemed to have got me fastened to the rope that ran through the wheel-block at the head, and they had fastened a pig of lead on to my chest, which pressed upon me as they hauled me up out of the boat, and then let go.

It was all wonderfully real. I felt myself suspended over the water, which looked black as ink instead of lit up by the sun as it was when Bigley went down. And as I hung there, the oppression from the pig of lead was terrible, and it seemed to please Captain Gualtiere, who was there in a boat opposite, giving orders and laughing at my struggles to escape. "Now," I heard him say in his Frenchy English, "cease to hold ze ropes, and laissez let him go."

Then there was a dull splash, and with the weight always upon me I seemed to part the waters and go down, down, down, into the deep black depths, which appeared to have no bottom. There was a growing sensation of suffocation; my boots hurt my feet, and the blister I had made upon my heel smarted, and all at once the pony, as it stood at the half-way house door, kicked out at me, just as I was beginning to suffocate; and this broke the rope, and I shot up to the surface.

In other words, I started up awake, to find that I had been lying on my back, that I was bathed in perspiration, and that my father was still walking up and down his bed-room.

"What stuff to go and dream!" I said to myself, as I felt very much relieved. "That comes of eating cold beef and pickled cucumber for supper."

I turned upon my side to settle myself off to sleep again; but I could not doze off; and do what I would, the thought of being sent down into the black water with a pig of our lead upon my chest, and the pony down below ready to kick out at me kept haunting my mind, while across the passage there was my father still keeping up the regular tramp.

Just then the clock at the bottom of the stairs began to strike, and I thought that it must be a dark morning and about four, but to my astonishment it struck eleven, and I felt sure that it must be wrong.

And all this while there was the restless pace up and down my father's room, making the jug in the basin rattle faintly, and after turning over three or four times I made up my mind that it was impossible to sleep, so I would dress, and then go and wake Bigley and sit and talk.

I had just made up my mind to this, as it seemed to me, when Bigley stood in the doorway and said:

"Now, Sep, old fellow, wake up."

I started up in bed and stared, for the room was flooded with sunshine, and I knew that I must have been sound asleep, while from across the passage came the regular pace of my father walking up and down, and the jug clattered in the basin.

"Has he been walking up and down all night?" I said sleepily.

"Oh, no!" said Bigley. "I have only just called him, and heard him get up. But make haste. It's a splendid morning, and the sea's like glass."

"And the skin's all off my heel," I said; "and it's as sore as sore, and so is one of my toes."

"Sep!" shouted my father just then; "make haste down, and tell Ellen that we want the breakfast as early as possible."

"Yes, father," I said; but at the same moment Kicksey's voice came up the stairs as she heard what he said, and it was to announce that breakfast would be ready in ten minutes' time.



CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

TREASURES FROM THE DEEP.

It was a glorious morning. There had been no wind for nearly three weeks beyond pleasant summer breezes, and the water was as clear as crystal, which is not so very often the case on our shore.

My father had soon completed his preparations, there being a fine larch in the woody part of the Gap; and this was soon felled, stripped, and cleared of branch and bark. Bigley soon found a suitable rope and block in his father's store, and a couple of boats were got ready, with a suitable bag of rough canvas, in which several holes were cut out so as to allow the water to pass readily through.

All this was got ready in a couple of hours, three pigs of lead were placed in the boat, in case one would be lost, and with the foreman to help, and a couple of men to pull, we set off from the beach with no lookers-on, and in a short time we were fast to the line that marked the spot where the boxes were supposed to lie.

Bigley gave vent to a sigh of satisfaction, for he had been in a terrible fidget, telling me over and over again that he was sure the boat-hook which served as a buoy had been washed away, and totally forgetting that the cluster of rocks known as the Goat and Kids were so familiar to the fishermen about that the spot could easily have been found again.

However there we were. The line was hauled tightly in over the bows of our boat, the pole thrust down straight to the bottom, but only to keep rising up until one of the pigs of lead was lashed on to the thick end, when it consented to stay. The block with its wheel had already been secured in its place, and the rest of the gear being ready nothing remained but to make the first descent, and for which Bigley was eager.

"I scarcely like to send you down, Bigley," said my father just at the last. "I hardly feel justified in doing so."

"Why not, sir?" cried Bigley. "It's only like diving for fun."

"But if anything happened?"

"Why, nothing can happen, sir. It's as easy as can be."

"One moment," said my father; "let's see how the tackle works."

He gave the word, the men slackened the rope, and the bag with the pig of lead in it went down with a splash and sank rapidly to the bottom, where it was allowed to stay for a few minutes and then hauled up.

"There, sir, that goes right enough, only when it went down it would have taken me with it, and when it came up it would have brought the first chest of silver."

"If you have not been mistaken," said my father drily. "Well, sir, we shall see," said Bigley colouring; and standing up in the boat he made a spring and dived off, curving down and rising again like a seal before swimming back to the side with a mastery over the water that I never could approach, though there was a time when I could swim and dive pretty well.

"Now, then," cried Bigley, taking hold of the bag without waiting for farther orders, "let the rope run quite clear, and don't haul till I come up and tell you."

"Do you feel sure that you can do it, my lad?" cried my father eagerly. "Oh yes, sir!"

"Then, mind, if there is any difficulty you will give up at once."

"I will not do it, Captain Duncan, if I cannot," said Bigley laughing. "Now, then, off!"

The bag, which with the lead inside had been resting on the gunwale, was lowered into the water; Bigley seized it, and in an instant over he turned to go down head-first, with the line running rapidly through the block, and then all at once growing slack.

My father and the foreman held the end, but like the rest they leaned over the side of the boat to watch the movements of the white figure they could indistinctly see far below, for the water was of course disturbed, and our movements in the boats kept up a series of ripples which blurred the surface.

My heart beat fast, for Bigley seemed to be down a long time, though it was only a few seconds before he rose rapidly to the surface and swam to the boat.

"Well, my lad," cried my father excitedly, "there is nothing, then?"

"I couldn't manage it the first time," panted Bigley. "I got hold of a box, but it was awkward work getting it into the bag. I could not hold it and get the chest in too. Haul up, please."

"But are you sure you can do it?" said my father.

"I am certain, sir," replied Bigley; and the men began to haul up the bag.

As Bigley was about to give the word to let go once more there came a loud "Ahoy!" from the shore; and turning my head I saw that Bob Chowne had come over and was asking to be fetched.

"It is impossible," said my father—"he must wait;" and I knew as well as if I were listening to him that Bob was saying something about our always having all the fun.

"Let go," cried Bigley; and away he went again, the weight drawing him down so rapidly that I felt a little envious, and as if I should like to make one of the trips.

He was up again more quickly this time.

"Haul up," he cried; "it's of no use. I can't get the box into the bag. Here, I see!" he cried, "make fast that maund to the rope and put the lead in there."

He pointed, as he held on by the boat's edge, to a fish-basket in the stern of the boat; and as soon as the bag had been hauled aboard the rope was set free and fastened, scale-fashion, to the basket.

Bigley's countenance brightened at this, and seizing it directly he gave the word, declaring that he was all right; and away he went once more, and came up again so quickly that we felt there was something wrong.

"What's the matter?" I cried.

"Haul up and see," was his reply; and as the men hauled, everyone held his breath till the basket came up slowly and heavily to the surface.

"It's a box or a stone," I cried; and then I gave a shout, in which all the men joined, for there was a square box in the basket and my father lifted it out.

"He's right! He's right!" cried my father excitedly. "Bigley, my dear lad, I could not believe that it was true!"

"Over with the basket, sir," cried Bigley; "quick!" and he went down again and once more rose.

"All ready!" he cried; and so it was, for another box was hauled in— another unmistakable case of our silver, for there were the marks upon it; and my heart beat with pride and pleasure at our success.

"How do you feel?" cried my father. "Don't go down more than you can bear."

"I feel like this, sir," cried Bigley seizing hold of the two handles of the basket and going down once more, to come up again almost as quickly, and another box was hauled up.

Just then there was a cheer from the shore, and on looking in that direction there was the doctor now beside Bob Chowne, and they evidently realised what was taking place, for both shouted and waved their hats.

They would have come off to us, but there was no boat to be had nearer than Ripplemouth; so they watched us while Bigley went down again and again till ten boxes had been recovered, when my father refused to let him go down any more, in spite of his prayers and declarations that he was all right and could go down as often as we liked.

My father was determined, though, and made him dress himself and help row ashore with us so as to carry the chests up to the cottage; but as soon as they were landed my father sent up to the mine and all the men were fetched to bear the silver up, and it was placed in safety in the restored cellar.

The spot had of course been left buoyed, and a couple of men were awarded the task of watching the place till after dinner, when towards four o'clock we all went down again, Bigley declaring himself ready to dive.

By this time I had come to the conclusion that I was behaving in a very cowardly way in letting him do all the work, and without saying a word I determined to quietly undress ready, and take the next turn.

The doctor and Bob Chowne, who had said just what I anticipated, joined us this time, while everyone occupied in the Gap came down to see the astounding fact that the Frenchmen had not got the silver after all.

We rowed out and made fast as before, and Bigley went down; but instead of paying any attention to his dive I let the others watch him, got ready, and then, as a fresh box was recovered, I leaped overboard, crying, "My turn now!" and swam to the basket.

"You, Sep?" said my father in a hesitating tone.

"Yes, father," I shouted. "Let go."

The men obeyed, and almost before I could realise it, I felt a snatch at my arms, and was dragged rapidly down.

In spite of my preparation I was so surprised that I almost lost my presence of mind; but, as luck had it, the basket settled down close to a box, and somehow or another I got one hand under it and tilted it over into the basket, to which I was holding on tightly the while.

Then in a blind confused way, with the water seeming to thunder in my ears, I loosened my hold, and almost directly my head popped out into the fresh air, and I swam to the boat amidst a furious burst of cheering.

I felt quite ashamed, and hardly knew what was said to me, for the idea was strong upon me that I had failed. But I had not, for the next minute one of the little chests was hauled up and into the boat, my father leaning over and patting my bare wet shoulder.

"Bravo, Sep!" he exclaimed; and those two words sent a glow through me, cleared away the confusion, and made me think Bigley a long while down when he took his turn, I was so impatient to begin again.

He was soon up, another hauled in, and this time I did not let the weight drag at my shoulders, but plunged with it, went down, shuffled a chest into the basket more easily, and came up.

Then Bigley obtained another, and suggested that the next dive should be from the stern of the boat.

He was quite right, and in the course of about an hour we had gone on turn for turn and obtained nineteen of the chests, so that there was only one more to recover.

The doctor had twice over suggested that we had been too long in the water, but everyone was in such a state of excitement, and there was so much cheering as box after box of silver was recovered, that his advice was unheeded, and in the midst of quite a burst of cheers I seized the basket by the handles and took my fifth plunge into what seemed to be a sea of glowing fire, so glorious was the sunshine as the sun sank lower in the west.

I knew where the last one lay, just where it had been shot when the boat overturned, and it was on its side in the midst of a number of blocks of stone tangled with weed. The boat had been shifted a little, and I came down right by it, turned it over and over into the basket; but as I did so I slipped, and something dark came over me. My legs passed between a couple of stones, and then as I tried to recover myself and rise the darkness increased, a strange confusion came over me, and then all was blank till I heard someone say:

"Yes; he'll do now."

My head was aching frightfully, and there was a strange confused sensation in my head that puzzled me, and made me wonder why my feet were so hot, and why my father was leaning over me holding my hand.

Then he appeared to sink down out of sight as a door was shut, and I heard him muttering as I thought to himself, and he seemed to say something about being better that everything should have been lost than that have happened.

I couldn't make it out, only that he was in terrible trouble, and his face looked haggard and thin as he rose up again and bent over me to take me in his arms as he looked closely in my face.

Then, as he held me to his breast, I could feel that he was sobbing, and I heard him say distinctly in a low reverent tone:

"Thank God—thank God!"



CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

LAST MEMORIES.

I heard all about it afterwards; how they had hauled up quickly as I did not rise to the surface, in the belief that I might be clinging still to the basket; but though the last chest was there, that was all.

Bigley seized the handles and went down, staying so long that everybody grew cold with horror, and when they hauled up he was helpless, and with one hand holding fast to the side of the basket.

It was our foreman who went down next, and managed to get his arm round me, where I was entangled in a tremendous growth of sea-weed, and with one of my legs hooked, as it were, between and round a piece of rock. By great good fortune he was able to drag me out, and rise with me to the surface, but so overcome that he could hardly take a stroke; and as for me, Doctor Chowne had a long battle before he could bring me back as it were to life.

I have little more to tell of my early life there on the North Devon coast, for after that time rolled on very peacefully. We had no more visits from the French, not even from Captain Gualtiere, and we saw no more of old Jonas Uggleston. He had settled in Dunquerque, he told his son in his letters, and these always contained the advice that he was on no account to leave the service of Captain Duncan, but to do his duty by him as an honest man.

And truly Bigley Uggleston did do his duty by my father and by me, for year by year we grew closer friends, the more so that Bob Chowne drifted away after his course of training in London, and finally became a ship's surgeon.

As for us, we led a very uneventful life, going steadily on with the management of the mine, which never was productive enough to make a huge fortune, but quite sufficient to keep my father fairly wealthy, and give employment and bread to quite a little village which grew up in the Gap.

For the recovery of the silver was the turning-point in my father's mining career. After that all went well.

As I said, Jonas Uggleston never came back, but one day a bronzed white-headed old sailor was seated at the door of the smuggler's cottage when I went to call on Bigley, and this old fellow rose with quite a broad grin on his face.

I stared for a moment, he was so foreign-looking with his clipped beard and quaintly cut garb. Then I realised who it was: Binnacle Bill come back to his old wife, Mother Bonnet.

"Couldn't leave the master before," he said. "But now I've come, and you'll give me a job now and then, and Master Bigley, I should like never to go away no more."

Binnacle Bill did not go away any more, for he was at once installed boatman, and bound to have boat, tackle, and baits ready every time Bigley and I felt disposed to have an hour or two's fishing in the evening.

If Bob Chowne came down his work grew harder, for Bob was as fond of fishing as ever. He used to come to see his father sometimes, for he was devotedly attached to him, and the old doctor's place was full of the presents his son sent him from abroad.

But Bob always came over to the Bay, grumbling and saying that he was sick of Ripplemouth; and then he grumbled at old Sam and Kicksey about the dinner, or the fruit, or the weather, and then he used to grumble at his two old school-fellows as we walked along the cliff path, or went out with him in the boat.

"Ah, you two always were lucky fellows," he said to us one day, when I told him that I was going to spend my winter evenings setting down my old recollections with Bigley Uggleston's help. "Nothing to do but enjoy yourselves, and idle, and write. But what's the good of doing that? Nobody will ever care to read about what such chaps as we've been, did in such an out-of-the-way place as this."

"Never mind," I said, "I mean to set it all down just as I can recollect; and as to anybody reading it—well, we shall see."

"Ah, well," said Bob, "just as you like; but if I was a grumbling sort of fellow, and given to finding fault, I should say it's just waste of time."

This was too much for Bigley, who burst into a hearty fit of laughter, in which I joined.

Bob stared at us both rather sulkily for a moment, and then uttered his favourite ejaculation, which was "Yah!"

THE END.