nell would help me."

"Oh, there's no fear of any open annoyance," said Uncle Jack; "the men
have been remarkably quiet since we caught Master Gentles. By the way,
anyone know how he is?"

"I know," I said. "I've seen Mrs Gentles every day, and he leaves the
infirmary to-morrow."

"Cured?"

"Yes; only he will walk a little lame, that's all, and only for a month
or two."

"Well, take care of the place, Cob," said Uncle Jack. "I don't suppose
the men will interfere with you, but if they do you can retreat."

"If you thought they would interfere with me," I said, "you would not
go."

They all laughed, and, as we had arranged, they left the works one by
one, and I went on just as usual, looking in at one place, and then
another, to see how the men were going on, before returning to the
office and copying some letters left for me to do.

It was a month since the adventure with the trap, and to see the men no
one could have imagined that there was the slightest discontent among
them.

Pannell had said very little, though I had expected he would; in fact he
seemed to have turned rather surly and distant to me. As for the other
men, they did their work in their regular independent style, and I had
come to the conclusion that my best way was to treat all alike, and not
make special friends, especially after the melancholy mistake I had made
in putting most faith in one who was the greatest scoundrel in the
place.

My uncles had gone to the next town to meet a firm of manufacturers who
had been making overtures that seemed likely to be profitable, and this
day had been appointed for the meeting.

After a time I went into Pannell's smithy, to find him hammering away as
earnestly as ever, with his forehead covered with dew, his throat open,
and his shirt-sleeves rolled up, so as to give his great muscles full
play.

"Well," he said all at once, "want another trap?"

"No," I said, smiling. "I say, Pannell, what did the men think about
it?"

He opened his lips to speak, but closed them directly.

"No," he said shortly; "won't do. I'm on t'other side, you see."

"But you might tell me that," I cried. "I say, I should as soon have
thought of catching you as old Gentles."

"Hush! Say rat," he whispered. "Don't name names. And say, lad, don't
talk about it. You don't want to get me knocked on the head?"

"No, Pannell," I said; "indeed I don't. You're too good a fellow."

"Nay, I'm not," he said, shak