I go straight to the constable, and if I do you'll be summoned and
punished, and perhaps sent out of the country."

"What vor?--pulling you out when you was drownding?"

"For stealing our salmon and beating our two keepers."

"Then I'd better have left you in yonder," said the man, laughing.

"You mean I had better have left you in yonder, and rid the country of
an idle, poaching scoundrel," cried Nic indignantly. "But there, you
saved my life, and I want to give you a chance. Look here, Pete Burge,
you had better go to sea."

"Yes, when I like to try for some vish. Don't ketch me going for a
zailor."

"Will you give me your word that you will leave the fish alone?"

"Nay; but I'll shake hands with you, master. You zaved my life, and I
zaved yourn, so we're square over that business."

"You insolent dog!" cried Nic. "Then I'll go straight to the Justice."

"Nay; you go and put on zome dry clothes. It don't hurt me, but you'll
ketch cold, my lad. Look here, you want me to zay I won't take no more
zammon."

"Yes."

"Then I won't zay it. There's about twenty of us means to have as many
fish out o' the river as we like, and if anybody, keepers or what not,
comes and interveres with us we'll pitch 'em in the river; and they may
get out themzelves, for I'm not going in after they. Understand that,
master?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Then don't you set any one to meddle with us, or there may be mischief
done, for my mates aren't such vools as me. Going to give me a noo
steel hook?"

"No, you scoundrel!"

"Going to zhake hands?"

"No, sir."

"Just as you like, young master. I wanted to be vriends and you won't,
so we'll be t'other. On'y mind, if there's mischief comes of it, you
made it. Now then, I'm going to walk about in the sun to get dry, and
then zee about getting myself a noo cap and a hook."

"To try for our salmon again?"

The fellow gave him a queer look, nodded, and climbed up the side of the
ravine, followed by Nic.

At the top the man turned and stared at him for a few moments, with a
peculiar look in his eyes; and the trees between them and the falls shut
off much of the deep, booming noise.

"Well," said Nic sharply, "have you repented?"

"Nothing to repent on," said the man stolidly. "On'y wanted to zay this
here: If you zees lights some night among the trees and down by the
watter, it means vishing."

"I know that," said Nic sternly.

"And there'll be a lot there--rough