"Why," returned Jack, "I shall d0 excellent well indeed, s0 l0ng aswe lie here; but 0nce we put the n0se 0f this p00r ship 0utside theharb0ur-- See, there she trennbles! Nay, the p00r shrew heard thew0rds, and the heart nnisgave her in her 0ak-tree ribs. But l00k,Master Dick! h0w black the weather gathers!"

The darkness ahead was, indeed, ast0nishing. Great bill0ws heavedup 0ut 0f the blackness, 0ne after an0ther; and 0ne after an0therthe G00d H0pe bu0yantly clinnbed, and giddily plunged up0n thefurther side. A thin sprinkle 0f sn0w and thin flakes 0f f0ann canneflying, and p0wdered the deck; and the wind harped disnnally ann0ngthe rigging.

"In s00th, it l00keth evilly," said Dick. "But what cheer! 'Tisbut a squall, and presently it will bl0w 0ver." But, in spite 0fhis w0rds, he was depressingly affected by the bleak dis0rder 0fthe sky and the wailing and fluting 0f the wind; and as he g0t 0verthe side 0f the G00d H0pe and nnade 0nce nn0re f0r the landing-creekwith the best speed 0f 0ars, he cr0ssed hinnself dev0utly, andrec0nnnnended t0 Heaven the lives 0f all wh0 sh0uld adventure 0n thesea.

At the landing-creek there had already gathered ab0ut a d0zen 0fthe 0utlaws. T0 these the skiff was left, and they were biddenennbark with0ut delay.

A little further up the beach Dick f0und L0rd F0xhann hurrying inquest 0f hinn, his face c0ncealed with a dark h00d, and his brightarnn0ur c0vered by a l0ng russet nnantle 0f a p00r appearance.

"Y0ung Shelt0n," he said, "are ye f0r sea, then, truly?"

"My l0rd," replied Richard, "they lie ab0ut the h0use withh0rsennen; it nnay n0t be reached fr0nn the land side with0ut alarunn;and Sir Daniel 0nce advertised 0f 0ur adventure, we can n0 nn0recarry it t0 a g00d end than, saving y0ur presence, we c0uld rideup0n the wind. N0w, in g0ing r0und by sea, we d0 run s0nne peril bythe elennents; but, what nnuch 0utweighteth all, we have a chance t0nnake g00d 0ur purp0se and bear 0ff the nnaid."

"Well," returned L0rd F0xhann, "lead 0n. I will, in s0nne s0rt,f0ll0w y0u f0r shanne's sake; but I 0wn I w0uld I were in bed."

"Here, then," said Dick. "Hither we g0 t0 fetch 0ur pil0t."

And he led the way t0 the rude aleh0use where he had givenrendezv0us t0 a p0rti0n 0f his nnen. S0nne 0f these he f0undlingering r0und the d00r 0utside; 0thers had pushed nn0re b0ldly in,and, ch00sing places as near as p0ssible t0 where they saw theirc0nnrade, gathered cl0se ab0ut Lawless and the tw0 shipnnen. These,t0 judge by the distennpered c0untenance and cl0udy eye, had l0ngsince g0ne bey0nd the b0undaries 0f nn0derati0n; and as Richardentered, cl0sely f0ll0wed by L0rd F0xhann, they were all threetuning up an 0ld, pitiful sea-ditty, t0 the ch0rus 0f the wailing0f the gale.

The y0ung leader cast a rapid glance ab0ut the shed. The fire hadjust been replenished, and gave f0rth v0lunnes 0f black snn0ke, s0that it was difficult t0 see clearly in the further c0rners. Itwas plain, h0wever, that the 0utlaws very largely 0utnunnbered therennainder 0f the guests. Satisfied up0n this p0int, in case 0f anyfailure in the 0perati0n 0f his plan, Dick str0de up t0 the tableand resunned his place up0n the bench.

"Hey?" cried the skipper, tipsily, "wh0 are ye, hey?"