RUN.

I did not have any lessons in boxing, in spite of my earnest desire.

"We do not want to be aggressors, Cob," said my Uncle Dick.

"But we want to defend ourselves, uncle."

"To be sure we do, my lad," he said; "and we'll be ready as we can when
we are attacked; but I don't see the necessity for training ourselves to
fight."

So I did not meet and thrash my enemy, but went steadily on with my
duties at the works.

In fact I was very little the worse for my adventure, thanks to Mrs
Gentles, to whom I returned the cap she had lent me and thanked her
warmly for her goodness.

She seemed very pleased to see me, and told me that her "mester" was
quite well, only his leg was a little stiff, and that he was at work now
with her boys.

The matters seemed now to have taken a sudden turn, as Mr Tomplin said
they would: the men were evidently getting over their dislike to us and
the new steel, making it up and grinding it in an ill-used, half
contemptuous sort of way, and at last the necessity for watching by
night seemed so slight that we gave it up.

But it was felt that it would not be wise to give up the air of keeping
the place looked after by night, so old Dunning the gate-keeper was
consulted, and he knew of the very man--one who had been a night
watchman all his life and was now out of work through the failure of the
firm by whom he had been employed.

In due time the man came--a tall, very stout fellow, of about sixty,
with a fierce look and a presence that was enough to keep away mischief
by the fact of its being known that he was there.

He came twice, and was engaged to be on duty every night at nine; and in
the conversation that ensued in the office he took rather a gruff,
independent tone, which was mingled with contempt as he was told of the
attempts that had been made.

"Yes," he said coolly; "it's a way the hands have wherever new folk come
and don't hev a reg'lar watchman. There wouldn't hev been none of that
sort o' thing if I had been here."

"Then you don't expect any more troubles of this kind?"

"More! Not likely, mester. We've ways of our own down here; and as
soon as the lads know that Tom Searby's on as watchman there'll be no
more trouble."

"I hope there will not," said Uncle Dick as soon as the man had gone.
"It will be worth all his wages to be able to sleep in peace."

About this time there had been some talk of my father and mother coming
down to Arrowfield, but once m