What harm can the poor cat do them,
I'd like to know? They think it's unlucky, I suppose. Well, if they
will have it so, send a couple of them down the hold to capture the
animal. We must just bear the mice if the cat cannot remain. Look
smart, now, the boy's in a hurry to get to his school."
Two men were then sent below to search for Baudrons, and I waited
for their return. In about a quarter of an hour one of them came to
say that the cat could not be found.
"Very well, then, I can't keep the lad here any longer. We must
send the cat ashore with the pilot."
Then the captain turned to me.
"Goodbye, Halcro, my lad!" he said; "perhaps we'll be back in
Orkney on our homeward voyage. Maybe you'll be a pilot yourself by
that time, and bring us into port. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Captain Gordon!" I murmured; and at that I slipped over
the taffrail and was soon sitting in my boat again, rowing back to
the town.
Chapter XIV. Thora.
On my way to the school that morning I chanced to meet Hercus and
Rosson coming down one of the side alleys.
"I say, lads," I began, "d'ye ken what Dominie Drever says about
the siller things we found at Skaill?"
"No! what is it, Hal?" asked Hercus.
"Why, he says that it was an old sea king's grave that we
discovered--one of those viking lads that we read about in the
history book.
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