He moved to turn off the light, but before he had done so, it flashed over the forms of the speakers and revealed a sergeant, a naval officer, and a file of marines.

Anne waited to see no more. When Bob stayed up to 5 grind as he was doing to-night, he often sat in his room instead of remaining all the time in the mill; and this room was an isolated chamber over the bakehouse, which could not be reached without going downstairs and ascending the step-ladder that served for his staircase. 10 Anne descended in the dark, clambered up the ladder, and saw that light strayed through the chink below the door. His window faced toward the garden, and hence the light could not as yet have been seen by the press gang.

"Bob, dear Bob!" she said, through the keyhole. "Put 15 out your light, and run out of the back door!"

66

Why?" said Bob, leisurely knocking the ashes from the pipe he had been smoking.

"The press gang!"

"They have come? Who can have blown upon me? 20 All right, dearest, I'm game."

Anne, scarcely knowing what she did, descended the ladder and ran to the back door, hastily unbolting it to save Bob's time, and gently opening it in readiness for him. She had no sooner done this than she felt hands 25 laid upon her shoulder from without, and a voice exclaiming, "That's how we do it quite an obliging young

man!"

Though the hands held her rather roughly, Anne did not mind for herself, and turning, she cried desperately, 30 in tones intended to reach Bob's ears, "They are at the back door; try the front!"

But inexperienced Miss Garland little knew the shrewd habits of the gentlemen she had to deal with, who, well used to this sort of pastime, had already posted themselves at every outlet from the premises.

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Bring the lantern," shouted the fellow who held her. 5 'Why, 'tis a girl! I half thought so. Here is a way in," he continued to his comrades, hastening to the foot of the ladder which led to Bob's room.

"What d'ye want?" said Bob, quietly opening the door and showing himself still radiant in the full dress 10 that he had worn with such effect at Weymouth at the Theater Royal, which he had been about to change for his mill suit when Anne gave the alarm.

"This gentleman can't be the right one," observed a marine, rather impressed by Bob's appearance.

"Yes, yes; that's the man," said the sergeant. "Now take it quietly, my young cock-o'-wax. You look as if

you meant to, and 'tis wise of ye."

"Where are you going to take me?" said Bob.

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15

'Only aboard the Black Diamond. If you choose to 20 take the bounty and come voluntarily, you'll be allowed to go ashore whenever your ship's in port. If you don't, and we've got to pinion ye, you will not have your liberty at all. As you must come, willy nilly, you'll do the first if you've any brains whatever.”

Bob's temper began to rise. about your pinioning, my man.

"Now or

informant.

"Don't talk so large

When I've settled —”

never, young blowhard," interrupted his

25

"Come, what jabber is this going on?" said the lieu-30 tenant, stepping forward. "Bring your man.”

II

One of the marines set foot on the ladder, but at the same moment a shoe from Bob's hand hit the lantern with well-aimed directness, knocking it clean out of the grasp of the man who held it. In spite of the darkness they 5 began to scramble up the ladder.

the door, which, being but of slight

Bob thereupon shut construction, was, as But it gained him

he knew, only a momentary defense. time enough to open the window, gather up his legs upon the sill, and spring across into the apple tree grow10 ing without. He alighted without much hurt beyond a few scratches from the boughs, a shower of falling apples testifying to the force of his leap.

15

"Here he is!" shouted several below, who had seen Bob's figure flying like a raven's across the sky.

There was stillness for a moment in the tree. Then the fugitive made haste to climb out upon a low-hanging branch toward the garden, at which the men beneath all rushed in that direction to catch him as he dropped, saying: "You may as well come down, old boy. 'Twas 20 a spry jump and we give you credit for it.”

The latter movement of Loveday had been a mere feint. Partly hidden by leaves, he glided back to the other part of the tree, from whence it was easy to jump upon a thatchcovered outhouse. This intention they did not appear to 25 suspect, which gave him the opportunity of sliding down the slope and entering the back door of the mill.

"He's here, he's here!" the men exclaimed, running back from the tree.

By this time they had obtained another light, and

pursued him closely along the back quarters of the mill. Bob had entered the lower room, seized hold of the chain. by which the flour sacks were hoisted from story to story by connection with the mill wheel, and pulled the rope that hung alongside for the purpose of throwing it into 5 gear. The foremost pursuers arrived just in time to see Captain Bob's legs and shoe buckles vanishing through the trap-door overhead, his person having been whirled up by the machinery like any bag of flour, and the trap falling to behind him.

10

"He's gone up by the hoist!" said the sergeant, running up the ladder in the corner to the next floor, and elevating the light just in time to see Bob's suspended figure ascending in the same way through the same sort of trap into the second floor. The second trap also fell 15 together behind him, and he was lost to view as before.

It was more difficult to follow now; there was only a flimsy little ladder, and the men ascended cautiously. When they stepped out upon the loft it was empty.

"If he

"He must have let go here," said one of the marines, 20 who knew more about mills than the others. had held fast a moment longer, he would have been dashed against that beam."

They looked up. The hook by which Bob had held on had ascended to the roof, and was winding around the 25 cylinder. Nothing was visible elsewhere but boarded. divisions like the stalls of a stable, on each side of the stage they stood upon, these compartments being more or less heaped up with wheat and barley in the grain. "Perhaps he's buried himself in the corn."

The whole crew jumped into the corn bins and stirred

30

5

about their yellow contents; but neither arm, leg, nor coat-tail was uncovered. They removed sacks, peeped among the rafters of the roof, but to no purpose. The lieutenant began to fume at the loss of time.

"What fools to let the man go! Why, look here! What's this?" He had opened the door by which sacks were taken in from wagons without, and dangling from the cathead projecting above it was the rope used in lifting them. "There's the way he went down," the 10 officer continued. "The man's gone."

Amidst mumblings and growls the gang descended the pair of ladders and came into the open air; but Captain Bob was nowhere to be seen. They turned from the door, and leaving four of the marines to keep watch round the house, 15 the remainder of the party marched into the lane as far as where another road branched off. While they were pausing to decide which course to take, one of the soldiers held up the light. A black object was discernible upon the ground before them, and they found it to be a hat20 the hat of Bob Loveday.

"We are on the track," cried the sergeant, deciding for this direction.

They tore on rapidly, and footsteps previously heard became audible again, increasing in clearness, which told 25 that they gained upon the fugitive, who in another five minutes stopped and turned. The rays of the candle fell upon Anne.

"What do you want?" she said, showing her frightened face.

30 They made no reply, but wheeled round and left her. She sank down on the bank to rest, having done all she