'esitate about usin' it. So it's no go with you, and never was;
you're out of the runnin', Dyvis. But he won't be afryde of me, I'm such
a little 'un! I'm unarmed--no kid about that--and I'll hold my 'ands up
right enough." He paused. "If I can manage to sneak up nearer to him as
we talk," he resumed, "you look out and back me up smart. If I don't, we
go aw'y again, and nothink to 'urt. See?"

The captain's face was contorted by the frenzied effort to comprehend.

"No, I don't see," he cried; "I can't see. What do you mean?"

"I mean to do for the beast!" cried Huish, in a burst of venomous
triumph. "I'll bring the 'ulkin' bully to grass. He's 'ad his larks out
of me; I'm goin' to 'ave my lark out of 'im, and a good lark too!"

"What is it?" said the captain, almost in a whisper.

"Sure you want to know?" asked Huish.

Davis rose and took a turn in the house.

"Yes, I want to know," he said at last with an effort.

"W'en your back's at the wall, you do the best you can, don't you?"
began the clerk. "I s'y that, because I 'appen to know there's a
prejudice against it; it's considered vulgar, awf'ly vulgar." He
unrolled the handkerchief and showed a four-ounce jar. "This 'ere's
vitriol, this is," said he.

The captain stared upon him with a whitening face.

"This is the stuff!" he pursued, holding it up. "This'll burn to the
bone; you'll see it smoke upon 'im like 'ell-fire! One drop upon 'is
bloomin' heyesight, and I'll trouble you for Attwater!"

"No, no, by God!" exclaimed the captain.

"Now, see 'ere, ducky," said Huish, "this is my bean-feast, I believe?
I'm goin' up to that man single-'anded, I am. 'E's about seven foot
high, and I'm five foot one. 'E's a rifle in his 'and, 'e's on the
look-out, 'e wasn't born yesterday. This is Dyvid and Goliar, I tell
you! If I'd ast you to walk up and face the music I could understand.
But I don't. I on'y ast you to stand by and spifflicate the niggers.
It'll all come in quite natural; you'll see, else! Fust thing, you know,
you'll see him running round and 'owling like a good 'un...."

"Don't!" said Davis. "Don't talk of it!"

"Well, you _are_ a juggins!" exclaimed Huish. "What did you want? You
wanted to kill him, and tried to last night. You wanted to kill the 'ole
lot of them, and tried to, and 'ere I show you 'ow; and because there's
some medicine in a bottle you kick up this fuss!"

"I suppose that's so," said Davis. "It don't seem someways reasonable,
only