There is
little doubt that it was young Halcro Ericson that did it."
"Halcro Ericson! What! the boy Halcro Ericson?" exclaimed the
lieutenant with undisguised surprise. "Why, then, that accounts for
our finding him hiding in the cave! I would never have thought it."
"What!" said the bailie. "You don't mean you have got the lad?"
"Yes, I do, sir; that is if you have no other natives with the same
outlandish name. He's on board, I assure you. Ay, and here he is."
The officer turned round towards me where I stood with my lantern
in one hand, and the coil of rope over my shoulder.
Bailie Duke looked at me with a frown on his brow, and his eyes
were steadily fixed upon my face, which could only have reflected
the innocence of my heart.
"I cannot believe it," he said in an undertone; "and yet the
thing's so clear."
Then he laid a hand sternly on my shoulder, and said, "Ericson, my
lad, I'm really sorry; but, you see, there's no use evadin' the
hand o' the law, and I must make you my prisoner."
"Your prisoner, Mr. Duke! But you cannot think that I have anything
to do with the smuggling?"
"Smuggling!" said he. "I said nothing about smuggling. With that I
have no business. No, it's not the smuggling, it's the murder!"
"Murder! What murder?" I gasped.
"The murder of Colin Lothian, the wandering beggar," he said.
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