The Skipper's Wooing, and The Brown Man's Servant

and next removed the stains of the crime from his knife. He then pushed on again rapidly until he struck another road, and begg

wo of the few coins left him, went his way, losing himself, with a view to baffling pursuit, among a maze of small lanes, tu

about half a mile beyond the village, one of which had a wooden shed in the garden which seemed to offer the very shelter he required. Satisfied that the inmates of the cottage were all abed he entered the garden, and, treading on tiptoe, walked towards the shed, fumbled at the hasp and opened the door. It was pitch dark within and silent, till something rustled uneasily. There was a note

latter, as he dealt the cook a b

instant and, aided by his wife, who had stopped to make a slight concession to appearances in the shape of a flannel petticoat, threw the cook down and knelt on him

first man breathlessly.

s. I didn't know they wa

said the seco

id the other, "Kee

e cook faintly; "

nd we'll take him to Winton police station in the morn

man, leaving him for a moment, struck a match and hastily lit a candle. She then opened a

said the neighbor. "I remember my gran'-father used to t

n pondering. "He'd be more comfortable in a

cing him in a stout oak chair, lashed h

chair, he gave him a crack on the head with a stick

se times," said the cook, be

id the neighbor, somewhat chilled

e prisoner's bonds. "If you'll come in in the morning, Pettit, we'll borrow a

Pettit, as the cook shud

ing the cook again, and warning him of the consequences if he mov

e had passed from crime to crime, and trying to estimate how much he should get for each. A cricket sang from th

he managed to stand, and in the fantastic appearance of a human snail, to shuffle slowly round the kitchen. At first he thought only of the cramp, but after that had yielded to treatment a wild idea of escape occurred to him. Still bowed

his chances. Fear lent him wings, though of a very elementary type, and as soon as he judged

the next time he sat down had to perform feats

n the middle of the road, faintly anathematizing Captain Gething and everything connected with him. He was startled by the soun

ir before him, retired a few paces in disorder. At a little distance he had mistaken the cook for a lover o

said the cook i

d the man, bac

ng to smile cheerfully, "you're

hing like it afore,"

id the cook. "I'm the only ma

he could quit

for a bet,"

nance clearing, "a bet. I though

cook. "I've come all the

an. "What won't they think of

in his wanderings. "At least I was, but I find it's too much f

fully, "don't give up now. Why, i

p," said the cook

our 'art up, and you'll be as pleased as Punc

ience; "I've earned forty pounds of it by coming

an inborn love of sport

ation, and taking out a clasp-knife, steadied the cook

k, trying to straighten his bowed b

id his benefactor. "Jack Thom

," said the grateful cook,

urn journey, while his innocent accomplice, shouldering the chair, went back

m the top of the next hill he caught a glimpse of the sea, and taking care to keep this friend of his youth in sight, felt his way along by it to Brittlesea. At midday he begged some broken victuals from a gamekeeper's cottage, and with renewed vigor resumed his journey, and at ten o'clock that

kie!" said Sam, "w

ave a wave of his hand which took in all the poi

spree," said Sam, re

e cook with expr

m into words, he abandoned the attempt, and turning a deaf ear to Sa