At Sunwich Port | Page 6

to your foolery," said Nugent; "I came to
tell you to punish that boy of yours."
"And I sha'n't do it," replied the other. "I have got something better to
do than interfere in children's quarrels. I haven't got your spare time,
you know."
Captain Nugent turned purple. Such language from his late first officer
was a revelation to him.
"I also came to warn you," he said, furiously, "that I shall take the law
into my own hands if you refuse."
"Aye, aye," said Hardy, with careless contempt; "I'll tell him to keep
out of your way. But I should advise you to wait until I have sailed."
Captain Nugent, who was moving towards the door, swung round and
confronted him savagely.
"What do you mean?" he demanded.
"What I say," retorted Captain Hardy. "I don't want to indulge Sunwich
with the spectacle of two middle-aged ship-masters at fisticuffs, but
that's what'll happen if you touch my boy. It would probably please the
spectators more than it would us."
"I'll cane him the first time I lay hands on him," roared Captain Nugent.
Captain Hardy's stock of patience was at an end, and there was,
moreover, a long and undischarged account between himself and his
late skipper. He rose and crossed to the door.
"Jem," he cried, "come downstairs and show Captain Nugent out."
There was a breathless pause. Captain Nugent ground his teeth with
fury as he saw the challenge, and realized the ridiculous position into
which his temper had led him; and the other, who was also careful of

appearances, repented the order the moment he had given it. Matters
had now, however, passed out of their hands, and both men cast
appraising glances at each other's form. The only one who kept his
head was Master Hardy, and it was a source of considerable relief to
both of them when, from the top of the stairs, the voice of that youthful
Solomon was heard declining in the most positive terms to do anything
of the kind.
Captain Hardy repeated his command. The only reply was the violent
closing of a door at the top of the house, and after waiting a short time
he led the way to the front door himself.
"You will regret your insolence before I have done with you," said his
visitor, as he paused on the step. "It's the old story of a beggar on
horseback."
"It's a good story," said Captain Hardy, "but to my mind it doesn't come
up to the one about Humpty-Dumpty. Good-night."
CHAPTER III
If anything was wanted to convince Captain Nugent that his action had
been foolish and his language intemperate it was borne in upon him by
the subsequent behaviour of Master Hardy. Generosity is seldom an
attribute of youth, while egotism, on the other hand, is seldom absent.
So far from realizing that the captain would have scorned such lowly
game, Master Hardy believed that he lived for little else, and his
Jack-in-the-box ubiquity was a constant marvel and discomfort to that
irritable mariner. Did he approach a seat on the beach, it was Master
Hardy who rose (at the last moment) to make room for him. Did he
stroll down to the harbour, it was in the wake of a small boy looking
coyly at him over his shoulder. Every small alley as he passed seemed
to contain a Jem Hardy, who whizzed out like a human firework in
front of him, and then followed dancing on his toes a pace or two in his
rear.
This was on week-days; on the Sabbath Master Hardy's daring
ingenuity led him to still further flights. All the seats at the parish

church were free, but Captain Nugent, whose admirable practice it was
to take his entire family to church, never thoroughly realized how free
they were until Master Hardy squeezed his way in and, taking a seat
next to him, prayed with unwonted fervour into the interior of a new
hat, and then sitting back watched with polite composure the efforts of
Miss Nugent's family to re-strain her growing excitement.
Charmed with the experiment, he repeated it the following Sunday.
This time he boarded the seat from the other end, and seeing no place
by the captain, took one, or more correctly speaking made one, between
Miss Nugent and Jack, and despite the former's elbow began to feel
almost like one of the family. Hostile feelings vanished, and with an
amiable smile at the half-frantic Miss Nugent he placed a "bull's-eye"
of great strength in his cheek, and leaning forward for a hymn-book left
one on the ledge in front of jack. A double-distilled perfume at once
assailed the atmosphere.
Miss Nugent sat dazed at his impudence, and for the first time in her
life doubts