“Their greatest friends have been found in the Redgill family, and since as I know that this night Phillip, the last of the Redgills, has formally joined your band, and will ultimately command it——”
“Command it?” said Death-wing, with a sudden start.
“Yes, command it ere long—it is but proper that all should know who and what were the founders of the Skeleton Crew, and the cause of its origin.”
“Then speak!” said Phillip, looking in amazement at the ghostly, ghastly figure of the Red Man of the Gibbet.
“I will speak, but let each and all listen; aye, to every word.
“Many, many years, aye, centuries ago,” the Red Man began, “there lived an old lord, who had no children nor wife, for they had all died young.
“This noble was named Warbeck, or, as he was called, ‘Lord of the Lakes.’
“Unknown to any one, he adopted two male children, and brought them up as his own, just like, at the present day, old Sir Richard Warbeck adopted Charley and Ned.
“Of this, however, no one knew anything; but the children were not of equal age, nor of the same parents, although they always passed as brothers, and bore the family name of Warbeck.
“The elder one was tall, pale, thoughtful, and studious, with black hair, and a martial aspect. His name was Edward.