The Lost Middy | Page 7

toddle back," said the
sailor, chuckling; "do me more good than riding. You look sharp and
get back. I'll give her a swab out while you're gone, and we'll take a
good reach out to where the bass are playing off the point, and get a
few. I see you've brought some sand eels."
"So we will, Tom. I should like to take home a few bass."
"So you shall, my lad," said the sailor, who had stumped forward to the
fore-locker to get out a big sponge; and he was rolling up his sleeves
over a pair of big, brown, muscular arms ornamented with blue

mermaids, initials, a ship in full sail, and a pair of crossed cutlasses
surmounted by a crown, as Aleck stepped lightly upon the gunwale,
sprang thence on to the steps, and went up, to run the gauntlet of the
little crowd of boys, who greeted him with something like a tempest of
hoots and jeers.
But the lads fell back as, with a smile full of the contempt he felt, Aleck
pressed forward, marched through them with his hands in his pockets,
and smiled more broadly as he heard from below a growling shout of
warning from the sailor announcing what he would do if the boys didn't
mind, the result being that they followed the well-grown lad at a little
distance all along the pier, throwing after him not bad fish and
fragments, which would, if well-aimed, have sullied the lad's clothes,
but what an Irishman would have called dirty words, mingled with
threats about what they would give him one of these fine days. The feud
was high between the Rockabie boys and the bright active young lad
from the Den, for no further reason than has already been stated, and
the dislike had increased greatly during the past year, though it had
never culminated in any encounter worse than the throwing of foul
missiles after the boat when it was pushed off for home.
Perhaps it was something in the air which made the Rockabie boys
more pugnacious and their threats more dire. Possibly they may have
felt more deeply stung by the contempt of Aleck, who strode carelessly
along the rough stone pier, whistling softly, with his hands in his
pockets, till he reached the slope and began to ascend towards where
the fishermen leaned in a row over the rail, just as if after a soaking
night they had hung themselves out in the sun to dry.
And now it was that the boys hung back and Aleck felt that he could
afford to pay no heed to the young scrubs who followed him, for there
were plenty of hearty hails and friendly smiles to greet him from the
rough seamen.
"Morn', Master Aleck."
"Morn', sir. How's the cap'n?" from another.

Then: "Like a flat fish to take back with you, master? I've got a nice
brill. I'll put him in your boat."
And directly after a big broad fellow detached himself from the rail to
sidle up with: "Say, Master Aleck, would you mind asking the cap'n to
let me have another little bottle o' them iles he gives me for my
showther? It's getting bad again."
"You shall have it, Joney," cried Aleck.
"Thankye, sir. No hurry, sir. Just put the bottle in yer pocket nex' time
you come over, and that'll do."
Aleck went on up town, as it was called,--and the men hung themselves
a little more over the rail and growled at the boys who were following
the visitor, to "be off," and to "get out of that; now," with the result that
they still followed the lad and watched him, flattening their noses
against the panes of the fishing-tackle shop window, and following him
again when he came out to visit one or two other places of business, till
all the lad's self-set commissions were executed, and he turned to
retrace his steps to the harbour.
So far every movement had been followed by cutting remarks
expressive of the contempt in which the visitor was held. There had
been threats, too, of how he would be served one of these times.
Remarks were made, too, on his personal appearance and the cut of his
clothes, but there was nothing more than petty annoyance till the
quarry was on his way back to where he would be under the protection
of the redoubtable Dumpus, who did not scruple about "letting 'em
have it," to use his own words, it being very unpleasant whatever shape
it took. But now the pack began to rouse up and show its rage under the
calm, careless, defiant contempt with which it was being treated.
Words, epithets, and allusions grew more malicious, caustic, and
insulting, and, these producing no effect by