"All superstitious nonsense, of course, my boy; but the ignorant people get hold of these traditions and believe in them.

Mr Deane here will soon tell you how in history molehills got stretched up into mountains." "Or snowballs grew into historical avalanches," said the tutor.
"Exactly," said Sir Francis.

"I fancy, Mike, that those people may have had a nest here.

One of the men--Carnach I think it was--told me that they had a cave, and only sailed from it at night." "Did he know where it was, father ?" "I remember now he said it was `sumwers about,' which is rather vague; but still there are several holes on the west coast which might have been made habitable; though I have never seen such a cave on the island, nor even one that could have been serviceable as a store." Mike winced a little, for he fully expected to hear his father say "Have you ?" But then Sir Francis went off to another subject, and the boy nursed up his ideas ready for his next meeting with Vince, which was on the following day..