but for the strong arm
of his friend.

"Get down first," said Trevor.

"No, no--never mind," said Pratt, catching his arm.

"Get down first," said Trevor, as if he were on the quarter-deck.

"There's nothing to be gained by it," whispered Pratt.

"I'll come directly," was the reply; and facing round upon the fellow,
who had risen, he looked him full in his closely-set eyes, face close to
face, as he said, quietly--

"I think I shall know you again, my friend."

Before the fellow had recovered from his surprise, Trevor stepped
lightly down, took Pratt's arm in an easy-going, familiar way, and the
friends joined the string of people crossing the fields.

"Thank goodness!" said Pratt; "I do hate a row. You must be on the
losing side. Lost anything?"

"No," said Trevor, thoughtfully. "But if that fellow had been at sea
with me, and behaved like that--"

"You'd have had him flogged?"

"No," said Trevor, "I'd have pitched him overboard."

"Overboard?"

"Yes," said Trevor, with his face once more all smiles--"and fished him
out!"

Volume 1, Chapter IV.

RATHER UNPLEASANT.

"Ah," said Pratt, after a brisk walk, "it might have been worse; it all
comes of getting on knife-boards. I never do go on a 'bus but I'm sure
to meet some one I don't want to see from that elevated position. Let's
see: in somebody's fables one poor bird got his neck wrung through being
in bad company, and getting caught by the fowler."

"And what has that to do with knife-boards?"

"Only this," said Frank, grimly; "I should uncommonly like to see that
barouche; and the cocky old gentleman inside will be safe to give us
credit for being the ringleaders of those rowdies."

"Well, never mind," said Trevor; "I wanted to see a steeplechase, though
I don't suppose I shall like it any more than a ball."

No more was said then, for they had reached the ground flagged out for
the course--a pleasant tract running round in front of a mound-like
hill, affording the spectators from the various stands a capital view of
the whole race; save where here and there a tiny copse intervened, so
that it must inevitably hide the horses for a few moments.

They were in ample time, for twelve, one, and two o'clock upon racing
cards are very different hours to those represented upon the time-tables
at our various termini; so they had a stroll round, pausing here or
there; but, no matter where they strayed, so sure as Frank Pratt turned
his head, it