hake hands; and there's my old woman up on the hill as wants to
see you again."

Suddenly the fierce look left the boy's face, and was replaced by a
wild, waggish expression.

"Oh! your old woman wants to see me, does she? And you want to shake
hands, do you? Now look here, Growler; I see through you! You thought
to catch a flat, and you'll find you've caught a tartar; or, rather,
that the tartar has caught _you_. But I've grown merciful since I went
to sea," (the lad tucked-up his wristbands at this point, as if he
really meditated a hand-to-hand encounter with his huge antagonist). "I
_do_ remember old times, and I know how richly you deserve to be hanged;
but I don't want to mix up my home-coming, if I can help it, with dirty
work. Now, I'll tell you what--I'll give you your choice o' two
courses. Either take yourself off and be out o' hail of this part of
the country within twelve hours, or walk with me to the nearest police
station and give yourself up. There--I'll give you exactly two minutes
to think over it."

The youthful salt here pulled out an enormous double-case silver watch
with an air of perfect nonchalance, and awaited the result. For a few
seconds the gypsy was overwhelmed by the lad's coolness; then he burst
into a gruff laugh and rushed at him. He might as well have run at a
squirrel. The boy sprang to one side, crossed the road at a bound, and,
still holding the watch, said--

"Half a minute gone!"

Again the man rushed at his small opponent with similar result, and a
cool remark, that another half minute was gone. This so exasperated the
gypsy, that he ran wildly after the boy for half a minute, but the
latter was as active as a kitten, and could not be caught.

"Time's up; two minutes and a quarter; so don't say that I'm not
merciful. Now, follow me to the constable."

So saying, Billy, as the man had called him, turned his back towards the
pass, and ran off at full speed towards the village. The gypsy followed
him at once, feeling that his only chance lay in capturing the boy; but
so artfully did Billy hang back and allow his pursuer to come close up,
that he had almost succeeded in enticing him into the village, when the
man became suddenly aware of his folly, and stopped. Billy stopped too.

"What! you're not game to come on?"

The man shook his fist, and, turning his face towards the pass, ran back
towards his booth in the hills, intending to take the boy's first piece