eld beyond striking distance quivering with rage, and each seeing
nothing but the adversary at whom he longed to get.

"Hey, lads, and I thowt you two was such friends!" cried the herald of
peace, who had sung truce in so forcible and convincing a way.

"Let go, Hicky! He struck me."

"Yes; let me get at him," cried Tom. "He knocked me down."

"And I'll do it again a dozen times," panted Dick. "Let go, Hicky, I
tell you!"

"Nay, nay, nay, lads, I wean't let go, and you sha'n't neither of you
fight any more. I'm ashamed of you, Mester Dick, with your poor father
lying theer 'most dead, and the missus a-nigh wherritted to death wi'
trouble."

"But he struck me," panted Dick.

"And I'll do it again," cried Tom.

"If you do, young Tom Tallington, I'll just pick you up by the scruff
and the breeches and pitch you into the mere, to get out as you may; so
now then."

Tom uttered a low growl which was more like that of a dog than a human
being; and after an ineffectual attempt to get at Dick, he dragged
himself away to kneel down at the first clear pool to bathe his bleeding
nose.

"Theer, now, I'll let you go," said Hickathrift, "and I'm straange and
glad I was i' time to stop you. Think o' you two mates falling out and
fighting like a couple o' dogs! Why, I should as soon hev expected to
see me and my missus fight. Mester Dick, I'm 'bout 'shamed o' yow."

"I'm ashamed of myself, Hicky, and I feel as if I was never going to be
happy again," cried Dick.

"Nay, nay, lad, don't talk like that," said the big wheelwright. "Why,
doctor says he's sewer that he can bring squire reight again, and what
more do you want?"

"To see the man punished who shot him, Hicky," cried Dick passionately.

"Ay, I'd like to see that, or hev the punishing of him," said
Hickathrift, stretching out a great fist. "It's one o' they big shacks
[idle scoundrels, from Irish _shaughraun_] yonder up at the dree-ern.
I'm going to find him out yet, and when I do--Theer, go and wesh thy
faace."

Dick was going sadly away when a word from Hickathrift arrested him; and
turning, it was to see that the big fellow was looking at him
reproachfully, and holding out a hand for him to grasp.

"Ay, that's better, lad," said the wheelwright smiling. "Good-bye, lad,
and don't feight again!"

The result of this encounter was that Dick found himself without a
companion, and he went day by day bitterly about thinking how hard it
was that he shou