Of course, you've told the Lieutenant." "Not yet, my good sir." "But--excuse my boldness; what plainer way of getting it back from the rascal, whoever he is ?" "Wait awhile," said Tom; "I have my reasons." "But, sir--for the honour of the place, the matter should be cleared up; and till the thief's found, suspicion will lie on a dozen innocent men; myself among the rest, for that matter." "You ?" said Tom, smiling.

"I don't know who I have the honour to speak to; but you don't look much like a gentleman who wishes for a trip to Botany Bay." The old man chuckled, and then his face dropped again.
"I'm glad you take the thing so like a man, sir; but it is really no laughing matter.

It's a scoundrelly job, only fit for a Maltee off the Nix Mangeery.

If it had been a lot of those carter fellows that had carried you up, I could have understood it; wrecking's born in the bone of them: but for those four sailors that carried you up, 'gad sir! they'd have been shot sooner.

I've known 'em from boys!" and the old man spoke quite fiercely, and looked up; his lip trembling, and his eye moist.
"There's no doubt that you are honest--whoever is not," thought Tom; so he ventured a further question.
"Then you were by all the while ?" "All the while?
Who more?
And that's just what puzzles me." "Pray don't speak loud," said Tom.