bight, and next minute he haddisappeared over the cliff, and was gradually lowered down, and thoughhalf drowned with the driving spray speedily reached the deck.
Effie stood in tears at her window, praying. It was all the child coulddo.
Leonard staggered aft and knelt by the side of Captain Bland, and pouredsome brandy from a flask into his mouth.
"Heaven bless you, boy!" he muttered, "and if the prayer of such as I amcan avail, Heaven will."
Leonard hardly heard him, but he knew his meaning, and now set to workwith axe and saw. It was a long and tedious job, but it was finished atlast, and the smuggler chief was clear, and sprang to his feet, butstaggered and almost fell again.
After a while, however, his numbed legs gathered fresh strength, and,helped by the boy, he settled himself in the bight of the rope, and wasdrawn to bank safe and sound.
The rope was again lowered, and Leonard mounted next, and not a minutetoo soon.
"Look, look, look!" cried Bland, pointing away to windward. "Run forour lives!"
A strange sight it was, that awful coming squall. Right away in thewind's eye was a long dark cloud, fringed beneath with a line of white.Forked lightning played incessantly across it, or fell through it likestreams of blood or fire. It grew higher and higher as it came nearerand nearer; then with a rush and a roar it swept upon the island, andthe very lighthouse seemed to rock in the awful embrace.
It was the last effort of one of the most terrible gales of wind thatever strewed our coast with wreckage, and with the bodies of unfortunatemen. When it disappeared at length, and went howling away over themountains, the sun shone out. It shone down upon the place where thelugger had lain, but not a timber of her was now to be seen.
HOW THE RESCUE WAS EFFECTED.
Just three weeks after their arrival in London, Captain and Mrs Lylewere back once more at Grayling House. They had only received oneletter from Leonard, though he had written several, but mails in thosedays took long to reach their destination, and often arrived only aftermany strange adventures.
As the carriage drove up through the long avenue with its tall trees ofdrooping birch, wonder was expressed by the parents that Leonard andEffie did not come bounding to meet them, as was their wont.
"Surely, dear," said Mrs Lyle, "something must be very much wrong.Hurry up, coachman."
Old Peter did not hide his grief. He met his master and mistresswringing his hands, with the tears flowing fast over his wrinkled face,and word by word they had to worm out of him his pitiful story.
Captain Lyle did all he could to comfort his wife, and pretended tolaugh at the whole affair. It was only a boy's freak, he said, and onlya brave boy like Leonard would have done or dared so much. He loved thelad all the better for it. No doubt the little caravan and the truantswould return in a day or two.
But though he spoke thus his mind was ill at ease, and he determined atonce to start a search party, and this was all ready in less than twohours. No less than a dozen horsemen were told off to scour thecountry, and get news at all hazards. But, lo! just as they werestarting off, what should be seen coming along up the avenue but thecaravan itself, driven by a bare-armed, wild-looking gipsy girl?
Captain Lyle hurried her along into his study, and there she told herstory.
The search party was instantly disbanded; a different kind of action wasneeded now, and needed at once. He told his wife the whole truth. Hethought this the better course, and she bore it bravely.
That same evening, as fast as horses could go, Captain Lyle was speedingalong on his way to Berwick, where he had heard that a Governmentsloop-of-war was lying.
He posted on all night, and next morning Berwick was in sight, thatromantic old town in which so many battles have been fought and won inthe olden times, that its walls, now only mounds, are lined with humanbones.
There was no sloop-of-war in sight in the beautiful bay. Fishing-boatsthere were in scores, some just sailing in, others still far out in thebay. But at the custom-house Lyle learned that the _Firefly_ had justrecently departed on a cruise in search of the very lugger which hadsailed away from near St. Abb's with Leonard and Effie on board, and ifthe captain of the sloop came across her he would no doubt give anexcellent account of her.
Meanwhile the customs officials told him that everything that possiblycould be done _would_ be done, and as soon as anything happened, he,Captain Lyle, should be communicated with post haste.
So there was nothing for it but to return at once to Glen Lyle.
On the very night of his arrival another strange thing happened. Avisitor called, who turned out to be an emissary of Captain Bland's.
This man, who was pleasant and even gentlemanly in address, begged toassure Captain Lyle, first and foremost, that unless he gave his word ofhonour that no attempt would be made to detain him, he would not deliverthe smuggler chief's message.
Lyle gave his word of honour.
Secondly, that unless the sum of two thousand pounds was paid as ransom,the children would never more be seen at Grayling House; but if, on theother hand, the money was sent, they would be restored in less than afortnight.
Captain Lyle consulted with his wife. They were on the horns of adilemma, for of late years the estate of Glen Lyle had sunk in value,and although they were willing to pay the ransom, it was, sad to think,an utter impossibility.
The matter was put fairly and honestly before the smuggler's emissary.
Could the half be raised?
Captain Lyle considered, and allowed it could.
Well, the emissary said he would communicate with Captain Bland, andreturn again and inform him of that worthy gentleman's decision, but noattempt must be made to follow him, or all communication would ceasebetween them.
And Captain Lyle was fain to assent.
Then the emissary mounted his fleet horse, stuck the spurs into hissides, and disappeared like a flash.
The man tore along the road, determined to put the greatest distance inthe least possible time betwixt himself and Grayling House.
Little recked he of a coming event.
About a mile from the house the road crossed a stream by a steepold-fashioned Gothic bridge. He was just entering one end of this, whenup at the other sprang, as if from the earth, a tiny half-clad gipsygirl. She waved a shawl and shrieked aloud. The horse swerved, butcould not stop in time, and next moment the animal and its rider hadgone headlong over the parapet, and lay dead--to all appearance--nearthe stream below.
The girl dashed down after them, wrenched open the man's coat, tore outsome papers, and waving them aloft, went shouting along the avenue backto Grayling House.
"My dear child," said Lyle, as soon as he had scanned the papers, "however can I reward you?"
"You were good to granny," was all the girl said.
Lyle at once sent off to the relief of the wounded man, but made himprisoner, for the letter he held was the emissary's instructions.
He was back again next day at Berwick. There he heard that the_Firefly_ was in harbour, but had discovered no trace of the smugglinglugger, though she had been south as far as the Humber.
"No," cried Lyle, exultingly showing the papers, "because the villainBland has gone north, and my children are captive on an island on thewest coast of Scotland."
A council of war was held that evening, and it was determined that thesloop-of-war should sail in search of the smuggler on the very next day.
"She may not be there yet," said the bold, outspoken commander of the_Firefly_. "We may overhaul her, or meet her on her way back. And itwill be best, I think, for you to come with us."
And so it was agreed.
The capture or destruction of the smuggler and Bland had for yearsdefied both custom and cruisers in his fleet lugger, but if Captain Pimof His Majesty's sloop-of-war was to be believed, the _Sea-horse_lugger's days were numbered, and those of her captain as well.
Away went the _Firefly_, but long before she had ever left harbour thesmug
gler had left his prizes--viz, Leonard and Effie, on LighthouseIsland, and gone on a cruise on his own account, his object being tocomplete his cargo from among the western islands, where smuggling wasrife in those days, and at once make sail for France, going round byCape Wrath for safety's sake, as was his wont.
As for the result of the visit of his emissary to Grayling House he hadnot the slightest fear.
The _Firefly_ encountered fearful weather. Summer though it was, shetook nearly a fortnight to reach Wick, and then had to lie in forrepairs for days. After sailing she was overtaken by a gale of windfrom the south, which blew her far into the North Sea.
Now it was the custom of Captain Bland, in making his voyages, to keep along way off the coast, and out of the way of shipping. Had it not beenfor the gale of wind that blew the _Firefly_ out of sight of land, thisruse would once again have served his purpose aright. As it was, earlyone morning his outlook descried the sloop-of-war on the weather bow.Well did Bland know her. He had