CHAPTER FIVE.
THE CAPTAIN CANNOT LET IT REST.
"Hullo, Nic, my boy; been overboard?"
The young man started, for he had been thinking a good deal on his wayback to the house. His anger had cooled down as much as his body fromthe evaporation going on. For, after all, he thought he could not findmuch fault with Pete Burge. It would seem only natural to such a roughfellow to serve his assailant as he had himself been served.
"And he did save my life afterwards, instead of letting me drown,"thought Nic, who decided not to try to get Pete punished.
"I'll give him one more chance," he said; and he had just arrived atthis point as he was walking sharply through the trees by the combe,with the intention of slipping in unseen, when he came suddenly upon hisfather seated upon a stone, and was saluted with the above question asto having been overboard.
"Yes, father," he said, glancing down at his drenched garments, "I'vebeen in."
"Bah! you go blundering about looking inside instead of where you'resteering," cried the Captain. "Aren't drowned, I suppose?"
Nic laughed.
"Well, slip in and get on some dry things. Look alive."
Nic did not want to enter into the business through which he had passed,so he hurried indoors, glad to change his clothes.
Then, as the time went on he felt less and less disposed to speak abouthis adventure, for it seemed hard work to make an effort to punish theman who had, after all, saved his life.
About a fortnight had passed, when one morning, upon going down, heencountered his father's old sailor-servant, who answered his salutewith a grin.
"What are you laughing at, Bill?" asked Nic.
"They've been at it again, sir."
"What! those scoundrels after the salmon?"
"Yes, sir; in the night. Didn't you hear 'em?"
"Of course not. Did you?"
"Oh yes, I heerd 'em and seed 'em too; leastwise, I seed their lights.So did Tom Gardener."
"Then why didn't you call me up?" cried Nic angrily.
"'Cause you'd ha' woke the Captain, and he'd have had us all out for afight."
"Of course he would."
"And he was a deal better in his bed. You know what he is, Master Nic.I put it to you, now. He's got all the sperrit he always did have, andis ripe as ever for a row; but is he fit, big and heavy as he's growed,to go down fighting salmon-poachers?"
"No; but we could have knocked up Tom Gardener and the other men, andgone ourselves."
"Oh!" ejaculated the old sailor, laughing. "He'd have heared, perhaps.Think you could ha' made him keep back when there was a fight, MasterNic?"
"No, I suppose not; but he will be horribly angry, and go on at youfiercely when he knows."
"Oh, of course," said the man coolly. "That's his way; but I'm used tothat. It does him good, he likes it, and it don't do me no harm. Neverdid in the old days at sea."
"Has any one been down to the river?"
"Oh yes; me and Tom Gardener went down as soon as it was daylight; andthey've been having a fine game."
"Game?"
"Ay, that they have, Master Nic," said the man, laughing. "There's nowater coming over the fall, and the pool was full of fish."
"Well, I know that, Bill," cried Nic impatiently; "but you don't mean tosay that--"
"Yes, I do," said the man, grinning. "They've cleared it."
"And you laugh, sir!"
"Well, 'taren't nowt to cry about, Master Nic. On'y a few fish."
"And you know how particular my father is about the salmon."
"Oh, ay. Of course I know; but he eats more of 'em than's good for himnow. 'Sides, they left three on the side. Slipped out o' theirbaskets, I suppose."
Nic was right: the Captain was furious, and the servants, from WilliamSolly to the youngest gardener, were what they called "tongue-thrashed,"Captain Revel storming as if he were once more rating his crew aboardship.
"They all heard, Nic, my boy," he said to his son. "I believe they knewthe scoundrels were coming, and they were too cowardly to give thealarm."
This was after a walk down to the pool, where the water was clear andstill save where a little stream ran sparkling over the shelf of rockinstead of a thunderous fall, the gathering from the high grounds of themoors.
"I'm afraid they heard them, father," said Nic.
"Afraid? I'm sure of it, boy."
"And that they did not like the idea of your getting mixed up in thefight."
"Ah!" cried the Captain, catching his son by the shoulder; "then youknew of it too, sir? You wanted me to be kept out of it."
"I do want you to be kept out of any struggle, father," said Nic.
"Why, sir, why?" panted the old officer.
"Because you are not so active as you used to be."
"What, sir? Nonsense, sir! A little heavy and--er--short-windedperhaps, but never better or more full of fight in my life, sir. Thescoundrels! Oh, if I had been there! But I feel hurt, Nic--cruellyhurt. You and that salt-soaked old villain, Bill Sally, hatch up thesethings between you. Want to make out I'm infirm. I'll discharge thatvagabond."
"No, you will not, father. He's too good and faithful a servant. Hethinks of nothing but his old Captain's health."
"A scoundrel! and so he ought to. Wasn't he at sea with me forfive-and-twenty years--wrecked with me three times?--But you, Nic, tomutiny against your father!"
"No, no, father; I assure you I knew nothing whatever about it till Icame down this morning."
"And you'd have woke me if you had known?"
"Of course I would, father."
"Thank you, Nic--thank you. To be sure: you gave me your word of honouryou would. But as for that ruffian Bill Solly, I'll blow him out of thewater."
"Better let it rest, father," said Nic. "We escaped a bad fightperhaps. I believe there was a gang of fifteen or twenty of thescoundrels, and I'd rather they had all the fish in the sea than thatyou should be hurt."
"Thank you, Nic; thank you, my boy. That's very good of you; but Ican't, and I will not, lie by and have my fish cleared away like this."
"There'll be more as soon as the rain comes again in the moors, andthese are gone now."
"Yes, and sold--perhaps eaten by this time, eh?"
"Yes, father; and there's as good fish in the sea."
"As ever came out of it--eh, Nic?"
"Yes, father; so let the matter drop."
"Can't help myself, Nic; but I must have a turn at the enemy one ofthese times. I cannot sit down and let them attack me like this. Oh,I'd dearly like to blow some of 'em out of the water!"
"Better put a bag of powder under the rock, father, and blow away thefalls so that the salmon can always get up, and take the temptation awayfrom these idle scoundrels."
"I'd sooner put the powder under my own bed, sir, and blow myself up.No, Nic, I will not strike my colours to the miserable gang like that.Oh! I'd dearly like to know when they are going to make their nextraid, and then have my old crew to lie in wait for them."
"And as that's impossible, father--"
"We must grin and bear it, Nic--eh?"
"Yes, father."
"But only wait!"