y, made for his 'taty-patch in the hollow beyond the pilot
house, laid his bundle on the ground, and began to dig in and cover
his golden coins, fetching a handful at a time. He had buried them
all, and was returning at shut of dusk, when he met young 'Bert
Penhaligon coming up the path.

"This is the last night for us here," proclaimed young 'Bert, "and I
can't say as I'm sorry. But maybe they'll move us."

"How so?" asked Nicky-Nan.

"Well, between you an' me," announced young 'Bert, who during the
last week had seemed to put on stature with confidence, "there's a
company of Royal Engineer Territorials ordered over from Troy to dig
theirselves in an' camp here."

[1] Hysterics.
[2] Monotonous burthen.

CHAPTER XVI.

CORPORAL SANDERCOCK.

Nicky-Nan arose with the dawn after a night of little sleep.
Very cautiously, with one hand feeling the wall, and in the other
carrying his boots, lest he should wake the Penhaligons, he stole
downstairs to his parlour. The day being Sunday, he could not dare
to risk outraging public opinion by carrying shovel or visgy through
the open streets. To be sure nobody was likely to be astir at that
hour: for Polpier lies late abed on Sunday mornings, the fishermen
claiming it as their week's arrears of sleep. None the less it might
happen: Un' Benny, for example, was a wakeful old man, given to
rising from his couch unreasonably and walking abroad to commune with
his Maker. For certain if Nicky-Nan should be met, going or coming,
with a shovel on his shoulder, his dereliction from grace would be
trumpeted throughout the parish, and--worse, far worse--it would
excite curiosity.

In the parlour he provided himself with the plastering trowel and a
sack, and wrapped the one in the other into a tight parcel, easily
carried under the crook of his arm-pit. With this he tiptoed along
the passage. There was no trouble with latch or bolt: for, save in
tempestuous weather, the front door of the old house--like half the
front doors of the town--stood open all night long. An enormous
sea-shell, supposed of Pernambuco, served it for weight or "dog,"
holding it tight-jammed against the wall of the passage.

Nicky-Nan seated himself on the bench in the porchway and did on his
boots. The light was very dim here, and his fingers trembled, so
that he took a long time threading the laces through the
eyelet-holes. He became aware that his nerves were shaken. At the
best of times,