it would, and as it does come up in the
high hills of stony Dartmoor. Then the tiny rills swelled and became
rivulets, the rivulets rivers, and the rivers floods. The trickling
fall at the Captain's swelled up till the water, which looked like
porter, thundered down and filled the pool, and the salmon came rushing
up from the sea till there were as many as ever. Then, as the rainy
time passed away, Captain Revel made his plans, for he felt sure that
there would be another raid by the gang who had attacked his place
before, headed by Pete Burge and a deformed man of herculean strength,
who came with a party of ne'er-do-weels from the nearest town.

"That rascal Pete will be here with his gang," said the Captain, "and
we'll be ready for them."

But the speaker was doing Pete Burge an injustice; for, though several
raids had been made in the neighbourhood, and pools cleared out, Pete
had hung back from going to the Captain's for some reason or another,
and suffered a good deal of abuse in consequence, one result being a
desperate fight with Humpy Dee, the deformed man, who after a time
showed the white feather, and left Pete victorious but a good deal
knocked about.

So, feeling sure that he was right, Captain Revel made his plans; and,
unwillingly enough, but with the full intention of keeping his father
out of danger, Nic set to work as his father's lieutenant and carried
out his orders.

The result was that every servant was armed with a stout cudgel, and
half-a-dozen sturdy peasants of the neighbourhood were enlisted to come,
willingly enough, to help to watch and checkmate the rough party from
the town, against whom a bitter feeling of enmity existed for depriving
the cottagers from getting quietly a salmon for themselves.

The arrangements were made for the next night, a stranger having been
seen inspecting the river and spying about among the fir-trees at the
back of the pool.

But no one came, and at daybreak the Captain's crew, as he called it,
went back to bed.

The following night did not pass off so peacefully, for soon after
twelve, while the watchers, headed by the Captain and Nic, were well
hidden about the pool, the enemy came, and, after lighting their
lanthorns, began to net the salmon.

Then a whistle rang out, a desperate attack was made upon them, and the
Captain nearly had a fit. For his party was greatly outnumbered. The
raiders fought desperately, and they went off at last fishless; b