u struck the first blow. Never mind, let's shake hands. It's all
over now."

Arthur turned his back and went away, switching his cane as he walked
towards the upper part of the village, while, after stopping to gaze
after him for a few minutes, Dick sighed, and strolled down to his
favourite post, the pier, to tell Will Marion that he had obtained leave
for the fishing, and to ask what time they were to start.

"I wish I hadn't hit Taff," he said to himself dolefully; "but he knows
how savage it makes me if I'm hurt. I wish I hadn't hit him, though,
all the same."

The regret was vain: he could not take back the blow, and his forehead
wrinkled up and his spirit felt depressed as he went on.

"Poor old Taff!" he said to himself. "I don't think he's so strong as I
am, and that makes him ill-tempered. And I'd been promising father that
I'd take care of him; and then I've got such a brutal temper that I go
and begin knocking him about.--Oh, I wish I wasn't so hot and peppery!
It's too bad, that it is.

"I suppose we sha'n't go conger-fishing now," he said gloomily. "Taff
won't care to go.

"Yes, he will," he said after a few minutes' pause. "I'll tell him at
dinner-time I'm very sorry; and then we shall make it up, and it will be
all right! Why, hallo! there he is going down to the boats. He must
have been round the other way. I'll bet a penny he heard what I said to
father about the fishing, or else he has seen Will."

The latter was the more correct surmise, though Arthur had also heard
his father give his consent.

"Hi! Taff!" shouted Dick; but his brother did not turn his head,
stalking straight down to the pier and getting to where Will and Josh
were at work preparing their tackle for the night's fishing.

"I'm very sorry, Taff," said Dick humbly. "I hope I did not hurt you
much."

Arthur made no reply, but began to speak to Will.

"Papa has given me leave to go with you," he said; "but I don't think I
should care about being out so late."

"Better come, sir," said Josh. "It will be rare sport. I know about
the best place along our bay, and it hasn't been fished for six months,
has it, Will?"

"Nine months, quite," said Will. "Yes, you had better come, sir."

"He's hoping I won't go," said Arthur to himself; "and Dick hopes I
won't go; but I will go just out of spite, to let them see that I'm not
going to let them have all their own way."

"Oh, he'll come," said Dick, "and you'll give