dener; "not till I've had a good go at that
Pete Burge and Master Humpy Dee. But I'm going to sarcumwent 'em this
time."

"Here are the others coming, Bill," cried Nic.--"What are you going to
do this time?" he said to the gardener.

"Sarcumwent 'em, Master Nic," said the man, with a grin. "It's no use
to hit at their heads and arms or to poke 'em in the carcass--they don't
mind that; so we've been thinking of it out, and we three's going to hit
'em low down."

"That's good," said Solly; "same as we used to sarve the black men out
in Jay-may-kee. They've all got heads as hard as skittle-balls, but
their shins are as tender as a dog's foot."

Just then five more men came up and received their cudgels; and directly
after three more came slouching up; and soon after another couple, and
received their arms.

"Is this all on us?" said one of the fresh-comers, as the sturdy fellows
stood together.

"Ay, is this all, Master Nic?" cried another.

"Why?" he said sharply.

"Because there aren't enough, sir," said the first man. "I got to hear
on it down the village."

"Ah! you heard news?" cried Nic.

"Ay, sir, if you call such ugly stuff as that news. There's been a bit
of a row among 'em, all along o' Pete Burge."

"Quarrelling among themselves?"

"That's right, sir; 'cause Pete Burge said he wouldn't have no more to
do with it; and they've been at him--some on 'em from over yonder at the
town. I hear say as there was a fight, and then Pete kep' on saying he
would jyne 'em; and then there was another fight, and Pete Burge licked
the second man, and then he says he wouldn't go. And then there was
another fight, and Pete Burge licked Humpy Dee, and Humpy says Pete was
a coward, and Pete knocked him flat on the back. `I'll show you whether
I'm a coward,' he says. `I didn't mean to have no more to do wi' Squire
Revel's zammon,' he says; `but I will go to-night, for the last time,
just to show you as I aren't a cowards,' he says, `and then I'm done.'"

"Ay; and he zays," cried another man from the village, "`If any one
thinks I'm a coward, then let him come and tell me.'"

"Then they are coming to-night?" cried Nic, who somehow felt a kind of
satisfaction in his adversary's prowess.

"Oh, ay," said the other man who had grumbled; "they're a-coming
to-night. There's a big gang coming from the town, and I hear they're
going to bring a cart for the zammon. There'll be a good thirty on 'em,
Master Nic, zir