“It seems to be getting a little rough out from the shore,” said Captain Ringgold, as the Maud made a heavy roll. “If I had known that you intended to take a sail in this craft, I should have told you that it looked as though a north-easter was coming up.” “I had no intention of taking a sail, captain; and I have to confess that I have been made the victim of a trick,” added Louis. “But how much of a trip do your friends intend to make of it?” “My enemies on deck would express it better; and the word is especially applicable to the captain.” “Who is the captain of the Oxford?” “The schooner is not the Oxford, but the Maud; and her captain is John Scoble, whom you will better recognize by his assumed name of Wade Farrongate,” Louis explained. “Farrongate!” exclaimed Captain Ringgold. “Then I begin to get an idea why Felix and myself were shut up under the hatches.” “This was a trick to get my mother and myself on board of the Maud. Fobbington is a fraud; and we are bound to England.” This was startling information to Captain Ringgold and Felix. CHAPTER IX A DINNER IN THE SECOND CABIN “Bound to England, is it?” exclaimed Felix, jumping up from the bench on which he was seated. “And will we shtop in swate Ireland on the way? That would give me a chance to foind where me grand-dad is buried in the province of Munshter, in the county of Watherford, and the parish of Ballinyfad.” “I don’t believe we shall stop on the way, Flix; at least not so far over as Ireland,” added Louis. “I am very sorry, Captain Ringgold, that I have got you into such a bad scrape.” “It is no worse for me than for you and your mother. It will stir up my blood a little; for I was getting so lazy and rusty that I needed something to wake me up,” replied the captain as cheerfully as though he had a personal interest in the proceedings of the party. “My first idea was that, as you are a millionaire, the banditti had captured us in order to get a big ransom out of you. If I had seen you again I intended to advise you not to pay them a red copper; and I am one to help you hang the whole troop at the fore-yard arm.” “I don’t know what is the fore-yard arrum, but that is what I’d loike to have you do, me darlint!” exclaimed Felix with enthusiasm. “Don’t talk so loud, Flix; I don’t care to attract the attention of the villains before we are ready to receive them,” interposed Louis. “Whisht, is it?” whispered Felix. “I am not in the hanging business, and I should rather send Scoble to Sing-Sing for a term of years than suspend him to the fore-yard arm,” replied Louis. “There are warrants out for his arrest.” As Captain Ringgold was likely to become an actor in the drama in progress, the leader decided to inform him at once in regard to the history of his mother’s marriage to Scoble, and to the subsequent events connected with that union.