watched them up the road and then, with a mysterious grin, turned into
the Jack Ashore, and taking a seat in the bar waited patiently for their
return.

Half an hour passed. The captain had smoked one pipe and was half
through another. He glanced at the clock over the bar and fidgeted as an
unpleasant idea that the bargain, despite Mr. Tredgold's ideas as to the
value of schooners, might have been completed without his assistance
occurred to him. He took a sip from his glass, and then his face
softened as the faint sounds of a distant uproar broke upon his ear.

"What's that?" said a customer.

The landlord, who was glancing at the paper, put it down and listened.
"Sounds like old Todd at it again," he said, coming round to the front of
the bar.

The noise came closer. "It is old Todd," said another customer, and
hastily finishing his beer moved with the others to the door. Captain
Brisket, with a fine air of indifference, lounged after them, and peering
over their shoulders obtained a good view of the approaching disturbance.

His three patrons, with a hopeless attempt to appear unconcerned, were
coming down the road, while close behind a respectable-looking old
gentleman with a long, white beard and a voice like a foghorn almost
danced with excitement. They quickened their pace as they neared the
inn, and Mr. Chalk, throwing appearances to the winds, almost dived
through the group at the door. He was at once followed by Mr. Tredgold,
but Mr. Stobell, black with wrath, paused in the doorway.

[Illustration: "His three patrons, with a hopeless attempt to appear
unconcerned, were coming down the road"]

"FETCH'EM OUT," vociferated the old gentleman as the landlord barred the
doorway with his arms. "Fetch that red-whiskered one out and I'll eat
him."

"What's the matter, Mr. Todd?" inquired the landlord, with a glance at
his friends. "What's he done?"

"_Done?_" repeated the excitable Mr. Todd.

"Done? They come walking on to my wharf as if the place--FETCH HIM OUT,"
he bawled, breaking off suddenly. "Fetch him out and I'll skin him
alive."

Captain Brisket took Mr. Stobell by the cuff and after a slight
altercation drew him inside.

"Tell that red-whiskered man to come outside," bawled Mr. Todd. "What's
he afraid of?"

"What have you been doing to him?" inquired Captain Brisket, turning to
the pallid Mr. Chalk.

"Nothing," was the reply.

"Is he coming out?" demanded the terrible voice, "