‘A fellow from the gipsies, that, about eighteen years since, was pressed on board that d--d fellow Pritchard’s sloop-of-war. It was he came off and gave us warning that the Shark was coming round upon us the day Kennedy was done; and he told us how Kennedy had given the information. The gipsies and Kennedy had some quarrel besides. This Gab went to the East Indies in the same ship with your younker, and, sapperment! knew him well, though the other did not remember him. Gab kept out of his eye though, as he had served the States against England, and was a deserter to boot; and he sent us word directly, that we might know of his being here, though it does not concern us a rope’s end.’ ‘So, then, really, and in sober earnest, he is actually in this country, Hatteraick, between friend and friend?’ asked Glossin, seriously. ‘Wetter and donner, yaw! What do you take me for?’ ‘For a bloodthirsty, fearless miscreant!’ thought Glossin internally; but said aloud, ‘And which of your people was it that shot young Hazlewood?’ ‘Sturmwetter!’ said the Captain, ‘do ye think we were mad? none of US, man. Gott! the country was too hot for the trade already with that d-d frolic of Brown’s, attacking what you call Woodbourne House.’ ‘Why, I am told,’ said Glossin, ‘it was Brown who shot Hazlewood?’ ‘Not our lieutenant, I promise you; for he was laid six feet deep at Derncleugh the day before the thing happened. Tausend deyvils, man! do ye think that he could rise out of the earth to shoot another man?’ A light here began to break upon Glossin’s confusion of ideas. ‘Did you not say that the younker, as you call him, goes by the name of Brown?’ ‘Of Brown? yaw; Vanbeest Brown. Old Vanbeest Brown, of our Vanbeest and Vanbruggen, gave him his own name, he did.’ ‘Then,’ said Glossin, rubbing his hands, ‘it is he, by Heaven, who has committed this crime!’ ‘And what have we to do with that?’ demanded Hatteraick. Glossin paused, and, fertile in expedients, hastily ran over his project in his own mind, and then drew near the smuggler with a confidential air. ‘You know, my dear Hatteraick, it is our principal business to get rid of this young man?’ ‘Umph!’ answered Dirk Hatteraick. ‘Not,’ continued Glossin--‘not that I would wish any personal harm to him--if--if--if we can do without. Now, he is liable to be seized upon by justice, both as bearing the same name with your lieutenant, who was engaged in that affair at Woodbourne, and for firing at young Hazlewood with intent to kill or wound.’ ‘Ay, ay,’ said Dirk Hatteraick; ‘but what good will that do you? He’ll be loose again as soon as he shows himself to carry other colours.’