had
been roused to administer punishment to both Geoff and Alick. That was
when the brothers had strangled several of Widow Dempster's hens by
lassoing them, on the pretext that the unfortunate fowls were
prairie-horses, the boys being prairie-hunters. This was a heinous
misdemeanour in the upright old sailor's eyes. Alick winced still at
the remembrance of the captain's wrath, and also of the captain's whip,
which he by no means spared on his boys' backs.

'I certainly hope that father won't get to know about this row!' he
muttered uneasily, as he finished screwing on Miss Muffet's leg, and
set her up as proud as the best. Then looking round for more surgical
needs to operate upon, and finding a hapless horse minus a tail, Alick
ingeniously supplied the unbecoming deficiency with bristles out of the
hearth-brush. He was a remarkably handy boy; his fingers were skilful,
and he possessed a certain amount of invention. As he prowled about
the shelves, setting a good many of Queenie's infirm toys on their
feet, and making all things taut, the morning wore on apace. He was
glad enough of any occupation to pass the time, which seemed strangely
lagging, as he glanced impatiently at his silver watch.

'I suppose Price and old Geoff are as thick as thieves, palavering away
over that awful Latin,' he soliloquised between the tunes he was
whistling. 'Price will be buttering up Geoff at my expense, no doubt.
Well, I don't care; why should I? I've made up my mind not to give in,
and nobody--not Price, at least--shall make me. Hilloa!' Lifting up
his eyes to the light, to see if he had glued on the wooden canary's
head quite straight on its neck, Alick caught sight, through the
window, of a couple of fishing-smacks making steadily for the bay.

'That one to the left is Fletcher's boat, or I'm blind, and Ned's on
board, I know. I'd better just run down to the beach, and have a
private word in his ears, as soon as he lands, about to-morrow. What a
day we shall have in Brattlesby Woods! Oh my, shan't we just!'

In a short time Alick, his morning's misery all forgotten, was down on
the shore, vigourously helping to haul in the heavy nets, and sharing
in the tumultuous excitement never failing to greet any and every boat
that put in to Northbourne beach.

'Can you come along with me, Ned?' he took the opportunity of
whispering in Ned's ear. 'I've got something to tell you about
_to-morrow_. You know what I mean.'