; and I zay we aren't enough."

"No," said Nic quietly; "we are not enough, but we are going to have our
revenge to-night for all the knocking about we've had."

"But we're not enough, Master Nic. We're ready to fight, all on us--eh,
mates?"

"Ay!" came in a deep growl.

"But there aren't enough on us."

"There will be," said Nic in an eager whisper, "for a strong party of
Jack-tars from the king's ship that was lying off this evening are by
this time marching up to help us, and we're going to give these
scoundrels such a thrashing as will sicken them from ever meddling again
with my father's fish."

"Yah!" growled a voice out of the gloom.

"Who said that?" cried Nic.

"I did, Master Nic," said the gardener sharply; "and you can tell the
Captain if you like. I say it aren't fair to try and humbug a lot o'
men as is ready to fight for you. It's like saying `rats' to a dog when
there aren't none."

"Is it?" cried Nic, laughing. "How can that be? You heard just now
that there will be about thirty rats for our bulldogs to worry."

"I meant t'other way on, sir," growled the man sulkily. "No sailor
bulldogs to come and help us."

"How dare you say that?" cried Nic angrily.

"'Cause I've lived off and on about Plymouth all my life and close to
the sea, and if I don't know a king's ship by this time I ought to.
That's only a lubberly old merchantman. Why, her yards were all anyhow,
with not half men enough to keep 'em square."

"Bah!" cried Solly angrily. "Hold your mouth, you one-eyed old
tater-grubber. What do you mean by giving the young master the lie?"

"That will do, Solly," cried Nic. "He means right. Look here, my lads;
that is a king's ship, the one commanded by my father's friend; and he
has made her look all rough like that so as to cheat the salmon-gang,
and it will have cheated them if it has cheated you."

A cheer was bursting forth, but Nic checked it, and the gardener said
huskily:

"Master Nic, I beg your pardon. I oughtn't to ha' said such a word. It
was the king's ship as humbugged me, and not you. Say, lads, we're
going to have a night of it, eh?"

A low buzz of satisfaction arose; and Nic hurried out, to walk in the
direction of the signal-staff, where the Captain had gone to look out
for their allies.

"Who goes there?" came in the old officer's deep voice.

"Only I, father."

"Bah!" cried the Captain in a low, angry voice. "Give the word,
sir--`Tails.'"

"The w