"Now is your time, Dick," said Ben, one evening when the decks were more than usually crowded. "Here's an old chum of mine alongside, Peter Purkiss; he'll take us ashore and will rig us in smock-frocks and gaiters, to look for all the world like countrymen. You slip first into his boat, and as soon as it's dark I'll follow; we'll then start away out of the town, and by the morning we shall be a long stretch off, my boy; no fear of being caught then." Dick hesitated; he had often thought that if properly treated he should like the service. The step his evil counsellor advised would be fatal to all his best aspirations. "Do as you like," said Ben; "depend upon it that Lord Reginald won't rest until he has seen you and the cat make acquaintance." At that moment Dick caught sight of the young lord talking to Voules. They did not observe him, but he thought that there was something sinister in the expression of their countenances. "They shan't catch me, as they fancy they will," he said to himself. He no longer hesitated. Several persons were descending the side; going down to the main-deck, he slipped through a port into the boat Ben had pointed out. "Where is your shipmate Ben?" asked the old boatman. "He said that he was coming as soon as it was dark," answered Dick. Several other people from the shore got into the boat, and ordered old Peter to land them without delay. Dick every moment expected to be discovered and to hear a hail ordering him back, but no one had observed him, and he was soon landed. "Now, lad," said the old man, "I'll take you to my house, as I promised. Ben will no doubt come next trip. You must be smart, though, lest we should meet any of your officers." As it was growing dusk Dick hoped not to be seen, and soon reached a house not far from the water's edge. The boatman, taking him into a small room, produced a carter's frock and gaiters, with a billycock hat and a large red handkerchief to tie round his throat. "Put on these duds, and keep close until I come back, when you and Ben may start together," said old Purkiss, as he left him to return to his boat. "Maybe he'll find it a harder matter to slip away than I did," said Dick to himself, "and if he doesn't come, I shall look foolish. Still, I have no fancy to go back and be bullied by that Lord Reginald and his toady Voules." Dick waited some hours; at last old Purkiss came back.