s. Trevarthen.
Aunt Butson, after a vain attempt to find labour in the fields, had
followed her to the almshouse across the water. The cause of Mr. Benny's
dismissal had been freely canvassed and narrowly guessed at.
Against this new stroke of tyranny the public revolted. Living so far
from their own church and a mile from the nearest chapel, numbers of the
villagers were wont on Sundays to cross over to the town for their
religion, and to-day with one consent they stepped into Nicky's blue boat,
while Mr. Bobe smoked and spat, and regarded them with a lazy interest.
Towards evening the old man jingled a pocketful of coppers.

"Why ever didn't I think o' this before?" he asked aloud. "Here I've
a-been near upon fifty years earnin' twelve shillings a week, and all the
while might ha' been a rich man and my own master!"

Next day he sought out Mr. Toy, and Mr. Toy obligingly painted and
lettered a board for him, and helped to fix it against the wall of his
hovel overlooking the lane--

THIS WAY TO
N. VRO FERRYMAN
THE OLD FIRM

Here was defiance indeed, a flaunted banner of revolt! The villagers, who
had hitherto looked upon the old man as half-witted but harmless, suddenly
discovered him to be a hero, and Mr. Toy gave himself a holiday to stand
beneath the board and explain it to all the country folk coming to use the
ferry. So well did he succeed that between sunset and sunrise the only
passenger by the official boat was Mr. Sam himself, on his way to seek and
take counsel with Lawyer Tulse.

Of their interview no result appeared for ten days, during which Nicky saw
himself acquiring wealth beyond the dreams of avarice. Already he
despised what at first had been so terrible, the prospect of being turned
out of house and home. He could snap his fingers, and let Mr. Sam do his
worst. He no longer thought of hiring a bedroom; he would rent a small
cottage from Hosken, and perhaps engage a housekeeper. It is to be feared
that in these days Nicky gave way to boasting; but much may be forgiven to
a man who blossoms out into a hero at eighty.

On the twelfth day of his prosperity, as he rested on his oars off the
town-landing and dreamed of a day when, by purchasing a horse-boat, he
would deprive the official ferry of its only source of revenue, and close
all competition, a seedy-looking man in a frayed overcoat stepped down