ough and their boyish
pranks.

William Solly was in the porch ready to salute the visitor, and to look
with pride at the fine, manly old officer's greeting. He made a point,
too, of stopping in the room to wait table, carefully supplying all
wants, and smiling with pleasure as he saw how the pleasant meal was
enjoyed by the guest.

"We were lying off the river late last night, but I wouldn't disturb
you," he said. "I made up my mind, though, to come to breakfast. Hah!
What delicious fried salmon!"

"_Hur-r-ur_!" growled Captain Revel, and Solly cocked his eye knowingly
at Nic.

"Hallo! What's the matter?" cried the visitor.

"The salmon--the salmon," growled Captain Revel, frowning and tapping
the table.

"De-licious, man! Have some?--Here, Solly, hand the dish to your
master."

"_Bur-r-ur_!" roared the Captain. "Take it away--take it away, or I
shall be in another of my rages, and they're not good for me, Jack--not
good for me."

"Why, what is it, old lad?"

"Tell him, Nic--tell him," cried Captain Revel; and his son explained
the cause of his father's irritation.

"Why, that was worrying you last time I was here--let me see, a year
ago."

"Yes, Jack; and it has been worrying me ever since," cried Captain
Revel. "You see, I mustn't cut any of the scoundrels down, and I
mustn't shoot them. The law would be down on me."

"Yes, of course; but you might make the law come down on them."

"Can't, my lad. Summonses are no use."

"Catch them in the act, make them prisoners, and then see what the law
will do."

"But we can't catch them, Jack; they're too many for us," cried the
Captain earnestly. "They come twenty or thirty strong, and we've had
fight after fight with them, but they knock us to pieces. Look at
Solly's forehead; they gave him that cut only a few nights ago."

The old sailor blushed like a girl.

"That's bad," said the visitor, after giving the man a sharp look.
"What sort of fellows are they?"

"Big, strong, idle vagabonds. Scum of the town and the country round."

"Indeed!" said the visitor, raising his eyes. "They thrash you, then,
because you are not strong enough?"

"Yes; that's it, Jack. Now, what am I to do?"

"Let me see," said the visitor, tightening his lips. "They only come
when the pool's full of salmon, you say, after a bit of rain in the
moors?"

"Yes; that's it, Jack."

"Then you pretty well know when to expect them?"

"Yes; that's right."

"How w