et near the managin' direction. And for that I'm going to 'ave you
write a letter, in w'ich you s'y you're ashamed to meet his eye, and
that the bearer, Mr J. L. 'Uish, is empowered to represent you. Armed
with w'ich seemin'ly simple expedient, Mr J. L. 'Uish will proceed to
business.'

He paused, like one who had finished, but still held Davis with his eye.

'How?' said Davis. 'Why?'

'Well, you see, you're big,' returned Huish; ''e knows you 'ave a gun in
your pocket, and anybody can see with 'alf an eye that you ain't the
man to 'esitate about usin' it. So it's no go with you, and never was;
you're out of the runnin', Dyvis. But he won't be afryde of me, I'm such
a little un! I'm unarmed--no kid about that--and I'll hold my 'ands up
right enough.' He paused. 'If I can manage to sneak up nearer to him as
we talk,' he resumed, 'you look out and back me up smart. If I don't, we
go aw'y again, and nothink to 'urt. See?'

The captain's face was contorted by the frenzied effort to comprehend.

'No, I don't see,' he cried, 'I can't see. What do you mean?'

'I mean to do for the Beast!' cried Huish, in a burst of venomous
triumph. 'I'll bring the 'ulkin' bully to grass. He's 'ad his larks out
of me; I'm goin' to 'ave my lark out of 'im, and a good lark too!'

'What is it?' said the captain, almost in a whisper.

'Sure you want to know?' asked Huish.

Davis rose and took a turn in the house.

'Yes, I want to know,' he said at last with an effort.

'We'n you're back's at the wall, you do the best you can, don't you?'
began the clerk. 'I s'y that, because I 'appen to know there's a
prejudice against it; it's considered vulgar, awf'ly vulgar.' He
unrolled the handkerchief and showed a four-ounce jar. 'This 'ere's
vitriol, this is,' said he.

The captain stared upon him with a whitening face.

'This is the stuff!' he pursued, holding it up. 'This'll burn to the
bone; you'll see it smoke upon 'im like 'ell fire! One drop upon 'is
bloomin' heyesight, and I'll trouble you for Attwater!'

'No, no, by God!' exclaimed the captain.

'Now, see 'ere, ducky,' said Huish, 'this is my bean feast, I believe?
I'm goin' up to that man single-'anded, I am. 'E's about seven foot
high, and I'm five foot one. 'E's a rifle in his 'and, 'e's on the
look-out, 'e wasn't born yesterday. This is Dyvid and Goliar, I tell
you! If I'd ast you to walk up and face the music I could understand.
But I don't. I on'y ast you to stand by and spiff