"Before they sat down, the captain told two of his men to go upstairs with us and fetch down our watches and jewelry, and the money there was in the house. Mr. Donald had already told them where they would find that.
"We lit four candles, and put them on the table. The captain ordered Mr. Donald to sit down facing him, saying with a sort of mock politeness that they should not really enjoy their food, unless their host took the head of the table. Several times, while they were eating, I saw the captain looking hard at Alice and me. Presently he said:
"'I have it now. Why, you are the Ellison girls, ain't you?'
"I was astonished, as you may suppose, but I said:
"'I am Miss Ellison, and Mrs. Donald is my sister.'
"'By Jove, who would have thought it!' he said. 'Do you know who I am?'
"I said I didn't, although really I seemed to have some sort of recollection of his face.
"'Why,' he said, 'don't you remember Tom Thorne, whose father the squire turned out of the public house? And to think, now, that the squire's daughters are waiting on me. This is a piece of luck.
"'Well, my dears,' he went on, with a horrible grin, 'you need not tell me how you came here now, you will have plenty of time for that. We have made up our minds to take you both with us, for it's a horrible lonely life in the bush, without the pleasure of ladies' society. But I never dreamt that I was in for such a slice of luck as this.'
"Mr. Donald jumped from his seat as the fellow spoke, but in a moment he levelled a pistol at him and shouted: