He followed Dick as he groped his way over fragments of masonry and through close-woven masses of ivy and weeds, until they came into the open. The night was very dark. The first thing they saw, at a distance of about twelve yards, was a small red glow, which brightened and faded at intervals. Drawing nearer to it cautiously, they perceived at the moments of greatest brightness that it lit up for an instant a grizzled chin, a sunken mouth, a quite ordinary nose, a ruddy face with a black patch over one eye, and a black hat over all. "’Tis old Joe Penwarden," said Dick, in a tone that expressed surprise, relief, and a shame-faced consciousness. "So ’tis, I do believe," cried Sam. "Be-jowned if ’a didn’t ought to be locked up for playing such gashly tricks on poor souls." "Avast there! Stand, in the King’s name!" cried the old man, hearing their voices. "So we will, so we will," said Sam. "Don’t ’ee be afeard, maister; we bean’t ghosteses, but just common mortals like yerself." "Oh! ’tis you, Maister Dick," said Penwarden, as the boys came up to him. "’Pon my life, I was skeered for about a second and a half, never expectin’ to see mortal men in this old haunt. What be ’ee doin’ at this time o’ night, in such a place, too?" "What time is it, Joe?" asked Dick. "Time all young things like lambs and birds and boys were abed and asleep. ’Tis past ten." "Lawk-a-massy, if I didn’t think it by the terrible emptiness in my inside," cried Sam, feelingly. "Come home-along, Maister Dick; I be mortal afeard as Feyther will send me to bed wi’out any supper." "Wait a bit," replied Dick. "Where do you think we’ve been, Joe?" "Not night-fishing, for ye’ve got no tackle. Nor rabbitin’, for ye’ve got no snares. Ah, well! Ye med as well tell me first as last, for I be no good at guessin’." "We’ve come up St. Cuby’s Well." "Come up, you say; but you must go down afore ye come up. I wouldn’t like to say I don’t believe ’ee." "That would be very unfriendly. The truth is, Joe, we were down in the cave and got shut in by the tide, and to pass the time away we climbed up over a ledge and found ourselves in an old adit, and went along it till we came to the well-shaft. There are iron steps in the wall, and up we came." "Well, if that bean’t the queerest thing I’ve heerd for many a day. Who would ever ha’ thowt it!" "Didn’t you know there were steps down the well side? "Never heerd tell o’ sech a thing." "But haven’t you seen it for yourself? I was thinking that, perhaps, you being here now, you knew all about it, and the idea did cross me that you might be the ghost people talk about, though to be sure you don’t look like one." "Bless ’ee, I’ve never set foot inside they walls. Sometimes of a night I come ramblin’ round to smoke a peaceful pipe and meditate on the days o’ my youth afore I turn in, but as for goin’ inside—no, I’ve never thowt o’t."