Firmly bent on revenge for what he had lost, and caring not a jot for Phillip Redgill’s escape, Captain Jack knocked at the door. “House, ho! house! Open to officers of the crown!” said Captain Jack, in a very brave tone. In a moment the window was raised, and old Gingles appeared at it in his night-cap and dressing-gown. “Who calls so lustily at such an unseemly hour?” asked the old man. “I do,” said Captain Jack, “Open, or I’ll break in the door!” “Call to-morrow.” “Open, I say!” “Come some other time, madcaps.” “Open, or I’ll break it open!” “Go to the devil!” said the old man, and he slammed down the window again with great violence. Alick could not but laugh secretly as Captain Jack walked up and down, cursing and swearing. “Have you any keys?” said Alick. “Yes; I never thought of that. I’ve got several skeleton keys in my pocket,” “Let us stop a little while until the old man goes to bed, and then we can let ourselves in without making any disturbance. The night is dark, no one will perceive us.” After a time, Captain Jack and his friend Alick tried the keys in the door, and were very happy to find that they could open it. “Now the old rascal must look out for squalls,” said Jack; “we have got him at last.” “Won’t he be surprised, though!” “Yes, and no mistake—particularly when he finds out that I am an officer of the crown.” The door was gently opened, and the two intruders entered very quietly. They crept upstairs. When they arrived at the top of the landing on the first floor, Captain Jack peeped into the front room. No one was there. The room was dimly lighted by a small, solitary light. Yet, dark as it was, Captain Jack could see that a large dining-table was laid out, as if for the supper of a dozen or more. “Hullo! what does all this mean?” said the noble captain, in a whisper. “Rather strange, ain’t it?” echoed Alick, in a whisper. Before they could make any other observation, old Gingles appeared upon the scene, and came from a secret closet so suddenly and noiselessly, that neither of the intruders heard or perceived him until he said, abruptly, in their ear, “Well, and who are you? What do you want, and where do you come from?” This was so unexpected by Jack and Alick that the former, for a moment, could not answer, and the latter began to titter in the background. “Did you come to rob me?” the old man asked, in a determined voice. “No—that is to say, not that exactly, but—” “Well, no ‘buts’ for me—what do you want?” said the old man, advancing towards Captain Jack. In an instant the night-cap and dressing-gown, the false wig, moustache, and stooping gait disappeared like magic, and, to Captain Jack’s horror, he stood before no less a person than the terrible Death-wing. “Death-wing!” gasped Captain Jack, staggering back. “Yes—Death-wing—no one else!” repeated a dozen voices behind him.