"Hush, hush!" said Shaw, as the oars plunged into the water. "_Howard and the Harry!_" muttered Jamie Gair, under his thick beard, as he bent to his oar and slued the boat's head round towards the land, where the bright-red light of his own cottage window was streaming on the water, and while the English ship filled her headsails, and stood off towards the sea. "My certie! but this _will_ be braw news for Rabbie Barton and auld Sir Andrew! Here's been some fause wark; but I'll spoil your port, fair gentlemen, lord-barons though ye be; for the admiral shall hear o' this, though I should hang owre Broughty tower for it." The mast was stepped, a sail set, and before the south-east wind, that blew from the Fifeshire hills, the boat glided over the starlit water like a wild sea-mew. CHAPTER X. THE BOATSWAIN'S YARN. "Now past the limit, which his course divides, When to the north the sun's bright chariot rides; We leave the winding bays, and swarthy shores, Where Senegal's black wave impetuous roars; And now from far the Libyan Cape is seen, Since by my mandate called the Cape of Green." _The Lusiad._ Jamie Gair had the stroke oar, and Borthwick the other; they bent all their energies to the task of pulling the boat against an ebb-tide, which was fast leaving bare and dry the Drumilaw Sands, and the long stretch of desolate beach at the promontory known as the Buddonness. Jamie kept his ears open to catch any passing remark from the high-born traitors who occupied the stern-sheets of his boat; but, full of their own dark thoughts, they remained silent until she was within a bowshot of the beach, when the Laird of Sauchie said,-- "So, on the evening of the 10th, we must have this dame sailing merrily at sea! A perilous promise!" "Perilous!" said Gray, gruffly; "how so?" "Ken ye, Sir Patrick, what the law saith anent trysts with Englishmen?" "I ken little, and I care less," replied the Knight of Kyneff, doggedly; "but what says it?" "That if any Englishman enter the kingdom of Scotland, without the sign-manual of the king, and is found at kirk or market, or in any other place, he shall be the lawful prisoner of whoever chooses to seize him. That the Scot who brings an Englishman to tryst, shall be committed to ward, and have his goods escheat. For such are the laws of James II. and his parliament of 1455." "Well, we who are barons of parliament, and make the laws, have assuredly the power of breaking them. Besides, he who can lead a thousand lances to the king's host, can make laws to suit himself." "But how know ye not, Sir Patrick, but this fellow Borthwick may betray us." "He dare not mar his profit and our own." "The boatman, then--he might suspect us--yea, might speak." "Assure me of that," hissed the low, deep voice of Gray, "and I will drive this poniard into his brisket."