rk, come
back, sir, or I'll pepper you!"

As he spoke, Kenneth raised the gun he carried and took aim at the dog,
who threw up his head and uttered a piteous howl, but kept on swimming
up and down beside the boat.

"Will you come out, sir?"

Dirk howled again.

Click! click! sounded the hammers, as Kenneth drew the triggers; and
Dirk now burst forth into a loud barking.

"She says she knew it wasn't loated, Maister Ken," cried Long Shon,
laughing; "she's a ferry cunning tog, is Dirk."

"Hi, Dirk! look here," cried Kenneth; and he threw open the breech of
his gun and slipped in a couple of cartridges. "Now then, young
fellow," he continued, "the gun's loaded now; so come back and stop
ashore. You're not going."

"How-ow!"

Dirk's cry was very pitiful, and, whether he understood the fact of the
gun being loaded or not, he turned and swam slowly ashore, climbed on
the rock and stood dripping and disconsolate, without trying to scatter
the water from his coat.

"You'd better learn to mind, sir, or--"

Kenneth gave the dog's ribs a bang with the gun barrel, and Dirk whined
and crouched down, watching his master wistfully as he stepped off the
rock into the boat, and then held out his hand to Max to follow.

"Mind what you're doing, Scood," cried Long Shon. "Ta wint's going to
change."

Scood nodded, and began to hoist the sail; the wind caught it directly,
and the boat moved swiftly through the water.

"You're not going near the Mare's Tail to-day, are you?" said Max
anxiously, as Kenneth laid his gun across his knees.

"No, I wasn't going; but if you want to--Here, Scood, let's go and show
him the Grey Mare's Tail again."

"No! No! No!" cried Max excitedly; "and pray don't go into any
dangerous places."

He bit his lip with annoyance as soon as he had said the words, for he
felt that it had made him seem cowardly in the eyes of his companions.

Scood grinned, and Kenneth said laughingly,--

"Oh, I thought you wanted to go there. We won't go into any danger.
Would you like a lifebelt?"

"No!" said Max indignantly; and then to himself, "I wish there was one
here."

"Tak' care, Maister Ken. Ta wint's going to change."

"All right."

"You, Scood, mind you ton't mak' fast ta sheet."

Max looked round for the sheet, but he did not see it; and concluded
that it was the sail that was meant.

"I do wish people wouldn't treat us as if we were babies," said Kenneth
angrily. "Just as if I didn'