dead hum. The pier stones reeled and rose and sank
and seemed to imitate the waves that floated in, and when at last, in
utter despair, he locked Aleck in his arms and tried to throw him, he
received such a stunning blow between the eyes that he loosened his
grasp to shake his head, which the next moment was knocked steady and
inert, the big fellow going down all of a heap, and the back of his big
bullet skull striking the pier stones with a heavy resounding bump.

CHAPTER THREE.

In his excitement it seemed to Aleck that the real fight was now about
to begin, for the little mob of boys uttered an angry yell upon seeing
their champion's downfall, and were crowding in. But he was wrong, for
a gruff voice was heard from the fishermen, who had at last bestirred
themselves to see more of what they called the fun, and another
deep-toned voice, accompanying the pattering of two wooden legs, came
from the direction of the steps.

"Here, that'll do, you dogs!" cried the first voice, and--

"Stand fast, Master Aleck, I'm a-coming," cried the other.

The effect on the boys was magical, and they gave way in all directions
before the big fisherman who had asked for the "iles" for his shoulders,
a medicament he did not seem to require, for his joints worked easily as
he threw out his arms with a mowing action, right and left, and with a
force that would have laid the inimical lads down in swathes if they had
not got out of the way.

"Well done, young Aleck Donne," he cried. "Licked Big Jem, have yer?
Hansum too. Do him good. Get up--d'yer hear--before I give yer my
boot! I see yer leading the lot on arter the young gent, like a school
o' dogfish. Hullo, Tom, you was nigher. Why didn't yer come up and
help the young gen'leman afore?"

"'Cause I didn't know what was going on, matey," cried the sailor. "Why
didn't yer hail me, Master Aleck?"

"Because I didn't want to be helped," cried the boy, huskily, his voice
quivering with indignation. "A set of cowards!"

"So they are, Master Aleck," cried the sailor, joining in the lad's
indignation. "On'y wish I'd knowed. I'd ha' come up with the
boat-hook."

"Never mind; it arn't wanted," said the big fisherman. "Young Mr
Donne's given him a pretty good dressing down, and if this here pack
arn't off while their shoes are good we'll let him give it to a few
more."

"I want to know what their fathers is about," growled the sailor. "I
never see such a set. They're