"Well, no. The sea was choppy, and the wind stiff agen ’em, so they come this way to save time and squeamishness." "Chuckleheads, as you say. I hope they were careful not to be seen." "Trust ’em for that. Nanky ’ud go straight to farm, and Penny’s crooked frame ’ud make nobody mispicious." "Well, twelve hours will see the end of it. All is planned, and will go like clockwork. The officers are coming at six; they talk of leaving at nine, and I shall not hinder them." "Hee! hee!" laughed Doubledick. "Tonkin and his crew will do their part. They won’t be back in time to lend a hand here, but we have enough without them. The wind holds; the cutter will not trouble us; and we can go to church to-morrow and sing ’Te Deum’ with some satisfaction." "Ay, true, ’twill be summat noble to talk about to-morrer in churchyard among the tombs." "Well, I’ll go and bag a brace of woodcock on the moor. I’ll look in on Nancarrow, too; ’tis just as well to be sure he met nobody." Trevanion moved to the ancient doorway and pulled aside the screen of ivy. But he let it fall quickly and stepped back. "Look here, Doubledick," he said in a whisper. Doubledick went to his side, and peered out through the foliage. Two figures were approaching the spot, not by the track from the road, but across the higher ground. Each carried a fowling-piece. "Come out shooting, like me," whispered Trevanion. "They didn’ see ’ee?" said Doubledick anxiously. "Not they. If they had seen me they wouldn’t have followed. The last person young Dick would wish to meet would be his cousin." Themselves concealed behind the ivy, the two men could watch the new-comers without the risk of being seen. They expected the boys to pass by, as nine villagers out of ten would have done, and the expression on their faces changed when Dick and Sam came directly towards the ruins, and, what was still more surprising, straight towards the well. Anger was written on Trevanion’s countenance, and alarm on Doubledick’s. The boys stood for a moment at the brink of the well. Then Dick, telling Sam to follow him immediately, kindled the candle in his hatband, lowered himself over the edge, and began to descend. A muffled curse broke from Doubledick’s lips. He reached for Trevanion’s gun, but Trevanion, now smiling, withdrew it, and signed to the inn-keeper to be silent. They remained where they stood for a minute or two after Sam had disappeared, then went forward to the well and peered down into the depths. The shaft was in darkness. It was clear that the boys had entered the adit.