A Terrible Coward | Page 8

and swim
right into a tangle o' net," said the man who always had his hands in his
pockets.
"Not he," said old Tom Genna; "Harry Paul's too clever a swimmer to
go and do such a thing as that."
"Here's Zekle Wynn," cried another eagerly, for such an event caused
plenty of excitement, and was seized upon with avidity. "Hi! Zekle! it
was you as left the net trailing, warn't it?"
"Skipper says so," replied Zekle grimly, as he took out some tobacco
and made himself a pill to chew.
"You're a pretty sort of a chap," said another; "why, you'll be running
the lugger on the rocks next."
"Shouldn't wonder," said Zekle.
"Well," said Tom Genna, "if I was Harry Paul, I'd knock you down

with the first thing I could get hold of, capstan-bar or boat-hook, or
anything."
"Ah, that's what our old man said!" replied Zekle coolly.
"You ought to be ashamed o' yourself, Zekle Wynn, that you ought, and
I wouldn't sail in the same boat with you."
"No, it wouldn't be safe," said Zekle dryly.
"Yes, you ought to be ashamed of yourself," said someone else angrily.
"I don't like Harry Paul, for he's a regular coward--chap as hasn't had
courage to take the big dive as yet; but that's no reason he should be
drowned by a fellow who can't manage a drift-net no better than to
leave half on it trailing overboard."
"Well, if you come to that," said Tom Genna, who was an authority in
the place, "I think it was the skipper's dooty to ha' seen that his nets was
all in the boat, and not leave it to a fellow like Zekle Wynn here, who
don't seem to have so much brains as a boy."
"Quite right!" said Zekle, "quite right!"
"Yes: what I say's quite right," said Tom Genna; "but as for you, young
fellow, you're quite wrong, and it's my belief you're about half out of
your mind."
Zekle Wynn stared vacantly round at the speakers, and then, putting his
hand to his head, he walked thoughtfully away.
"He is going wrong," said the fishing sage, nodding his head; and this
formed a fresh subject for discussion, especially as one of the knot of
idlers recollected that a second cousin of Zekle Wynn's was an idiot.
But Zekle Wynn was not going out of his mind, but, as soon as it was
dark, straight up to the house where Mark Penelly lived with his father,
and as soon as he had watched Penelly, senior, out of the house, he
went boldly up and asked to see Mark.

The latter came at the end of a few minutes, looking curiously at his
visitor.
"Sit down, Zekle," he said. "Brought a message?"
"No!" said Zekle.
"Brought up some fish, then?"
"No!" was the very gruff reply.
"Did you want to see my father?"
"No!"
"Then what do you want?" exclaimed Penelly sharply.
"You!"
"What is it, then, my good fellow?" said Penelly, speaking now in a
haughty tone, for the man's way was rude and offensive.
"I want to know something," said Zekle.
"Then why don't you go to somebody else?"
"'Cause you know best what I want to know."
"Speak out, then, quickly, for I am busy," said Penelly, who, while in
an ordinary way ready enough to chat and laugh with the fishermen,
was at times, on the strength of his father's position as a boat-owner,
disposed to treat them as several degrees lower in social standing.
"Busy, eh?" said Zekle scornfully. "I dessay you are; but you mus'n't be
too busy to talk to me."
"What do you mean?" said Penelly hotly. "How dare you speak to me
in that insolent way?"

"Insolent, eh?" said the man. "Ah! you call that insolent, do you?" he
continued, raising his voice. "What would you call it, then, if I was to
speak out a little plainer?"
"Look here, Zekle Wynn," said Penelly; "there are times when I come
down to the harbour, and into the boats, and go fishing with the men;
but recollect, please, whom you are talking to."
"Oh, I know who I'm talking to," said Zekle; "I ain't blind."
"If you speak to me again like that I'll kick you out of the house. How
dare you come in here and address me in this way?"
"Where's your father?" said Zekle; "suppose I talk to him."
"Go and talk to him, then; and mind how you speak, sir, or you'll get
different treatment to that you receive from me."
"All right, then!" said Zekle mockingly. "I shall go to him and tell him
that, while I was busy shaking out fish in our boat to-night, young
Harry Paul come swimming up, and our mas'r says, `Come aboard,' he