ater.

"Nay, nay, nay," he cried, "no one would do owt o' the soort, lad. Nay,
nay, nay."

"Ah, well, I don't know!" cried Dick. "All I know is that the stacks
were burnt."

"Weer they, lad?"

"Yes, and the stables."

Dave made a clucking noise with his tongue.

"And the house had a narrow escape."

"Hey, bud it's straange; and will Tallington hev to flit [move, change
residence] then?"

"No; the house is right all but one room."

"Eh, bud I'm straange and glad o' that, lad. Well, we can't goo
liggering to-day, lad. It wouldn't be neighbourly."

"No, I shouldn't care to go to-day, Dave, and without Tom. What are you
going to do?"

"Throost the punt along as far as I can, and when I've gotten to the end
o' the watter tie her oop to the pole, and walk over to see the plaace."

"I'll come with you, Dave."

"Hey, do, lad, and you can tell me all about it as we go. Jump in."

Dick wanted no second invitation, and the decoy-man sent the punt along
rapidly, and by following one of the lanes of water pursued a devious
course toward Grimsey, whose blackened ruins now began to come into
sight.

Dick talked away about the events of the night, but Dave became more and
more silent as they landed and approached the farm where people were
moving about busily.

"Nay," he said at last, "it weer some one smoking. Nobody would hev set
fire to the plaace. Why, they might hev been all bont in their beds."

Tom Tallington saw them coming and ran out.

"Why, Dave," he cried, "I'd forgotten all about the fishing, but we
can't go now."

"Nay, we couldn't go now," said the man severely. "'Twouldn't be
neighbourly."

Tom played the part of showman, and took them round the place, which
looked very muddy and desolate by day.

"I say, Dick, do you know how your father made the horses come out?" he
said, as they approached the barn, which had been turned into a stable.

"Hit 'em, I suppose, the stupid, cowardly brutes!"

"No; hitting them wouldn't have made them move. He pricked them with
the point of his knife."

"Did he, though?" said Dave, who manifested all the interest of one who
had not been present.

At last he took his departure.

"Soon as you like, lads," he said; "soon as it's a fine day. I'll save
the baits, and get some frogs too. Big pike like frogs. Theer's
another girt one lies off a reed patch I know on. I shall be ashore
every day till you're ready."

He nodded to them, and pushed o