Having said this he stepped ashore, and an instant later was lost to view in the gloom. [Illustration: “HE STEPPED ASHORE, AND AN INSTANT LATER WAS LOST TO VIEW.”] “Perhaps it is best he should go free,” Alec said with a long-drawn sigh of relief, and old Silas replied in an angry tone:-- “We have made ourselves akin to him by this night’s work, and I shall never have the same respect for myself that I had four-and-twenty hours ago.” Then he took up the oars, pulling vigorously toward the brig, and after a brief interval I made bold to ask:-- “How did you succeed in getting him off?” “It was a simple matter. The sentry went forward to light his pipe; and, with the key you gave me, the door was soon opened. Hubbard must have been warned of what would happen, for he came forward immediately, and I had but to lead the way after having locked the cabin as before. We met no one while coming aft, and soon it was so dark that those on deck might have rubbed elbows with us and not known who walked by my side.” “It is well over, and I feel as if a great load had been lifted from my shoulders,” Alec exclaimed. “With me it is as if a heavy burden had been put on my back,” old Silas added. “The business is done, so far as concerns settin’ the traitor free; but now we stand a chance of this night’s work bein’ known to our messmates, in which case not one of ’em would so much as look at us again. There’ll be a hue an’ cry when it’s known he’s no longer aboard, an’ there’s a good show of our bein’ suspected.” This last possibility did not trouble either Alec or I as it did the old man, and we went on board the brig with the belief that the disagreeable matter was finally ended. We turned in quietly, as may well be imagined, but I had not gained any great amount of sleep when I was awakened by a tumult on deck. “Hubbard’s escape has been discovered,” Alec whispered when I sprang up, so bewildered for the instant that I failed to understand the meaning of the noise. “Our best plan is to remain here as if yet asleep.” As he suggested, so we did, and after a short time the confusion subsided; when, despite the gravity of the situation, slumber again closed my eyelids. It was broad day when I awakened; Alec was standing by the side of my hammock, and the report he made was most assuring. “I have just been on deck. Matters there are in our favor; it is believed that the key was left in Hubbard’s door by the marine who served him with supper--” “That can easily be disproven by finding the key.” “It has been kept in the mess-room, in charge of the third officer, who now reports it missing. In my opinion, old Silas got hold of it after coming aboard last night. At all events, there appears to be little fear of our being suspected, more particularly since we shall put to sea again as soon as a fresh supply of water can be taken aboard.”