Percy was saved the trouble of telling to his mother the story of his adventure on board the brig. He found two of the old crew at the cottage before him--two men who had been true to his father, and who, he had no doubt, were of the number banded together for the purpose of seeking new employment. But they would make no remark in relation thereto in the widow’s hearing. The smugglers all knew that she was friendly to their chief; and they believed she would support and defend him against the rest together. They wondered at it, as her son had wondered. What she could have found in the man to respect or esteem they--the true men of the old crew--could not imagine. It was a puzzle in every way. There were times when it appeared to our hero that his mother was warmly attached to Tryon, that she served and obeyed him because of her liking for the man. There were other times, however, when it appeared as though she was afraid of the man, that she held him in fear, if not in absolute terror. Yes, it was a puzzle, a puzzle to Percy Maitland of the most perplexing and even painful character. And he thought of it now more painfully than ever before, now that the revelation or confession of old Rodney had opened up the full blackness of the villain’s character. He had always believed Ralph Tryon to be a villain and now he knew it, knew him to be guilty of one of the gravest crimes known to the law of man. Did his mother know this? How could she help knowing it? She must have known it from the first. Aye--as he reflected--as he called to mind certain scenes of the past, he remembered words spoken between the two--between his mother and Ralph Tryon--which had reference to this very business. Once, very nearly a year before, when he had come suddenly and unexpectedly upon them while they were in close conversation, he had heard these words from Tryon’s lips: “Ho! ’twould be a quick hanging, and no mercy, if he were once caught!” And there had been other things as significant as that. Yes; his mother had been knowing to the man’s true character from the first. And that had been--how long? He had forgotten to ask Donald the question, but he could judge nearly. It had been little more than a year ago. At the time he had overheard that remark about a quick hanging the work of piracy had just been entered upon. It had been only a little while previous to that time that he, Tryon, had been given full and undisputed command. But where was the use? The conversation in the brig’s cabin had aroused his feelings to a high pitch of excitement, and it took a considerable time to quiet them; but he did it at length. He turned his thoughts to a pleasanter theme.