etty sort of a chap," said another; "why, you'll be running
the lugger on the rocks next."

"Shouldn't wonder," said Zekle.

"Well," said Tom Genna, "if I was Harry Paul, I'd knock you down with
the first thing I could get hold of, capstan-bar or boat-hook, or
anything."

"Ah, that's what our old man said!" replied Zekle coolly.

"You ought to be ashamed o' yourself, Zekle Wynn, that you ought, and I
wouldn't sail in the same boat with you."

"No, it wouldn't be safe," said Zekle dryly.

"Yes, you ought to be ashamed of yourself," said someone else angrily.
"I don't like Harry Paul, for he's a regular coward--chap as hasn't had
courage to take the big dive as yet; but that's no reason he should be
drowned by a fellow who can't manage a drift-net no better than to leave
half on it trailing overboard."

"Well, if you come to that," said Tom Genna, who was an authority in the
place, "I think it was the skipper's dooty to ha' seen that his nets was
all in the boat, and not leave it to a fellow like Zekle Wynn here, who
don't seem to have so much brains as a boy."

"Quite right!" said Zekle, "quite right!"

"Yes: what I say's quite right," said Tom Genna; "but as for you, young
fellow, you're quite wrong, and it's my belief you're about half out of
your mind."

Zekle Wynn stared vacantly round at the speakers, and then, putting his
hand to his head, he walked thoughtfully away.

"He is going wrong," said the fishing sage, nodding his head; and this
formed a fresh subject for discussion, especially as one of the knot of
idlers recollected that a second cousin of Zekle Wynn's was an idiot.

But Zekle Wynn was not going out of his mind, but, as soon as it was
dark, straight up to the house where Mark Penelly lived with his father,
and as soon as he had watched Penelly, senior, out of the house, he went
boldly up and asked to see Mark.

The latter came at the end of a few minutes, looking curiously at his
visitor.

"Sit down, Zekle," he said. "Brought a message?"

"No!" said Zekle.

"Brought up some fish, then?"

"No!" was the very gruff reply.

"Did you want to see my father?"

"No!"

"Then what do you want?" exclaimed Penelly sharply.

"You!"

"What is it, then, my good fellow?" said Penelly, speaking now in a
haughty tone, for the man's way was rude and offensive.

"I want to know something," said Zekle.

"Then why don't you go to somebody else?"

"'Cause you know best what I want to know."