, and that can be done just
as well from a distance."

A quarter of an hour later Major Kent hailed Meldon again; this time he
had Doyle with him on the shore. Meldon sat up on his life-buoy, and
leaned both elbows on the boom.

"That's right, Major," he shouted. "You've brought him down. Just
stay where you are. I won't keep you long. Now then, Doyle! I
understand that you are in an abominably bad temper about something,
and have come down here with the intention of working it off on me. I
may tell you that I don't at all care for being interrupted while I'm
meditating; and as a general rule I simply refuse to do any business
until I've finished. However, as you're an old friend, I'm making an
exception in your case. Can you hear what I say?"

"I cannot," shouted Doyle, "nor nobody could."

"You can," said Meldon. "If you couldn't, how did you answer me?"

"We can't," said the Major, shaking his head vigorously.

Meldon pulled the punt alongside the yacht, got into her and rowed
towards the shore. When he was within about ten yards of it, he swung
the punt round and rested on his oars facing Doyle and Major Kent.

"Now," he said, "trot out your grievance; but speak briefly and to the
point. I can't and won't have my morning wasted. If you meander in
your statements, I shall simply row back again to the yacht and leave
you there."

"It's a curious thing," said Doyle, "that a gentleman like you would
find a pleasure in preventing a poor man from earning his living."

He spoke truculently. He was evidently very angry indeed.

"Don't," said Meldon, "wander off into generalities and silly
speculations about things which aren't facts. So far from taking a
pleasure in preventing poor men from living, I'm always particularly
anxious to help them when I can."

"You didn't help me then with your damned tricks, the like of which no
gentleman ought to play."

"If you refer to yourself as a poor man," said Meldon, "you're simply
telling a lie. You're rich, nobody knows how rich, but rich enough to
buy up every other man in the town of Ballymoy."

"And if I was itself, is that any reason why them that would be staying
in my hotel should be hunted out of it?"

"Are you talking about Sir Gilbert Hawkesby?"

"I am," said Doyle. "Who else would I have in my mind?"

"And is he gone?"

"He is not gone yet? but he's going without something would be done to
stop him."

"I'm glad to hear it. I hardly