shelter in Bessie Bussow's house, and Captain John, having
hoisted a flag of truce, waited for Wearne and his boat with all the
calmness in life.

"A pretty day's work this!" was the collector's first word as he stepped
ashore.

"Amusin' from first to last," agreed Captain John in his cordial way.

Says the collector slowly, "Well, tastes differ. You may be right, of
course, but we'll begin at the beginning, and see how it works out.
First, then, at nine forty-five last night you showed an unauthorised
light for the purpose of cheating the revenue. Cost of that caper, one
hundred pounds."

"Be you talkin' of the rockets?"

"'Course I be."

"Well then, _I_ didn't fire them, nor anyone belongin' to the Cove.
I didn't set anyone to fire them, and they waren't fired to warn
anybody. Let alone I have proof they was sent up by a Methody preacher
to relieve his feelin's. You've known me too long, Roger Wearne, to
think me fool enough to waste a whole future joy[3] over so simple a
business as warnin' a boat."

"What are you tellin' me?"

"The truth, as I always do; and I advise you to believe it, or 'twon't
be the first time you've seen too far into a brick wall."

Wearne knew well enough what Captain John meant. Just a year before he
had paid a surprise visit to the Cove, ferreted out a locked shed and
asked to be shown what was inside. The King refused. "It held
nothing," he said, "but provisions for his brother Henry's vessel."
Of course Wearne couldn't believe this; a locked store in Prussia Cove
was much too sure a thing. So first he argued, and then he broke the
door open, and, sure enough, found innocent provisions inside just as
he'd been promised. Next morning the shed was empty. "Didn' I warn
'ee," said John, "against breaking in that door and leaving my property
exposed. Now I'll have to make 'ee pay for it;" and pay for it Wearne
did.

"All I know," the captain went on, "is that a Methody preacher paid me a
visit last night, with the objic (so far as I can make out, for things
have been movin' so fast I hadn't time to question en as I wished) o'
teachin' me what was due to King George. In pursooance o' which--it
being His Majesty's birthday--he took and fired a dozen rockets I keep
on the off-chance of wantin' one of these days to signal the Custom
House at Penzance. I own 'twas a funny thing to do, but folks takes
their patriotism different. I daresay, now, _you_ didn't even remember
'