e more dignified and look rather
less like a drowned rat if he put it on.

Pete came close to him, placed his lips nearly to his ear, and shouted,
"Cap?"

Nic nodded.

"Gone down the river to try and catch mine for me," said the man, with a
good-humoured grin, which made Nic frown at the insolent familiarity
with which it was said.

"You'll have to buy me another one, Master Nic," continued the man, "and
get the smith to make me a noo steel hook. I'll let you off paying for
the pole; I can cut a fresh one somewheres up yonder."

"On our grounds?" cried Nic indignantly, speaking as loudly as he could.

"Well, there's plenty, aren't there, master? And you've lost mine,"
shouted back the man, grinning again.

"You scoundrel!" cried Nic, who was warming up again. "I shall have you
up before the Justices for this."

"For what?" said the man insolently.

"For throwing me into the pool."

"Zo shall I, then," shouted the man. "It was only tit for tat. You
zent me in first."

"Yes; and I caught you first hooking our salmon, sir."

"Tchah! much my zammon as your own, master. Vish comes out of the zea
for everybody as likes to catch them."

"Not on my father's estate," cried Nic. "You've been warned times
enough."

"Ay, I've heerd a lot o' talk, master; but me and my mates mean to have
a vish or two whenever we wants 'em. You'll never miss 'em."

"Look here, Pete Burge," cried Nic; "I don't want to be too hard upon
you, because I suppose you fished me out of the pool after throwing me
in."

"Well, you've no call to grumble, master," said the man, grinning
good-humouredly. "You did just the zame."

"And," continued Nic, shouting himself hoarse, so as to be heard, and
paying no heed to the man's words, "if you faithfully promise me that
you'll never come and poach on my father's part of the river again, I'll
look over all this, and not have you before the Justices."

"How are you going to get me avore the Justice, Master Nic?" said the
man, with a merry laugh.

"Send the constable, sir."

"Tchah! he'd never vind me; and, if he did, he dursen't tackle me.
There's a dozen o' my mates would break his head if he tried."

"Never mind about that," cried Nic. "You promise me. My father warned
you only yesterday."

"So he did," said the man, showing his teeth. "In a regular wax he
was."

"And I will not have him annoyed," cried Nic. "So now then, you
promise?"

"Nay, I shan't promise."

"Then