"Yah!"
"Much sport?" said the man, passing abreast of their boat about half a
dozen yards away, and keeping that by dipping his oars from time to
time.
"Pretty fair," said Bob, taking the rod. "'Bout a dozen."
"What fish are they!" said Dexter eagerly, and he held up one.
"Smelts," said the man, with a peculiar look. "Come fishing?"
"Yes," said Bob sharply. "We've come for a day or two's fishing."
"That's right," said the man, with a smile that was a little less
pleasant than his scowl. "I'm a fisherman too."
"Oh, are yer?" said Bob.
"Yes, that's what I am."
"He ain't after us," whispered Bob. "It's all right."
Dexter did not feel as if it was. He had an innate dislike to the man,
who looked furtive and underhanded.
"Got a tidy boat there," said the man at last.
"Yes, she's a good un to go along," said Bob.
"Wouldn't sell her, I s'pose!" said the man.
"What should we sell her for?" said Bob, hooking and landing a fish
coolly enough.
"I d'know. Thought you might want to part with her," said the man. "I
wouldn't mind giving fifteen shillings for a boat like that."
"Yah!" cried Bob mockingly. "Why, she's worth thirty at least."
"Bob!" whispered Dexter excitedly. "You mustn't sell her."
"You hold your tongue."
"I wouldn't give thirty shillings for her," said the man, coming close
now and mooring his own crazy craft by holding on to the gunwale of the
gig. "She's too old."
"That she ain't," cried Bob. "Why, she's nearly new."
"Not she. Only been varnished up, that's all. I'll give you a pound
for her."
"No," said Bob, to Dexter's great relief.
"I'll give you a pound for her, and my old 'un chucked in," said the
man. "It's more than she's worth, but I know a man who wants such a
boat as that."
"You mustn't sell her, Bob," whispered Dexter, who was now in agony.
"You hold your row. I know what I'm a-doing of."
"Look here," said the man, "I'm going a little farder, and I'll fetch
the money, and then if you like to take it we'll trade. It's more'n
she's worth, though, and you'd get my little boat in, as is as good a
boat as ever swum."
He pushed off and rowed away, while, as soon as he was out of sight,
Dexter attacked his companion with vigour.
"We mustn't sell her, Bob," he said.
"Why not? She's our'n now."
"No, she isn't; and we've promised to take her back."
"Look here!" said Bob, "have you got any money?"
"No, but we shan't want any as soon as we get to the island."
"Yes, we shall, and a pound would be no end of good."
"But we would have to give up our voyage."
"No, we shouldn't. We'd make his boat do."
"But it's such a shabby one. We mustn't sell the boat, Bob."
"Look here! I'm captain, and I shall do as I like."
"Then I shall tell the man the boat isn't ours."
"If you do I'll knock your eye out. See if I don't," cried Bob
fiercely.
Dexter felt hot, and his fists clenched involuntarily, but he sat very
still.
"If I like to sell the boat I shall. We want the money, and the other
boat will do."
"I say it won't," said Dexter sharply.
"Why, hullo!" cried Bob, laughing. "Here's cheek."
"I don't care, it would be stealing Sir James's boat, and I say it
shan't be done."
"Oh, yer do--do yer!" said Bob, in a bullying tone.
"You won't be happy till I've given you such a licking as'll make yer
teeth ache. Now, just you hold your row, and wait till I gets yer
ashore, and you shall have it. I'd give it to yer now, only I should
knock yer overboard and drown'd yer, and I don't want to do that the
first time."
Bob went on fishing, and Dexter sat biting his lip, and feeling as he
used to feel when he had had a caning for something he had not done.
"I shall do just as I please," said Bob, giving his head a waggle, as if
to show his authority. "So you've got to sit still and look on. And if
you says anything about where the boat came from, I shall tell the man
you took it."
"And, if you do, I shall tell him it's a lie," cried Dexter, as fiercely
as his companion; and just then he saw the man coming back.