"'Wal, I like the way he cuffed them fellers over at Trent,' said the Deacon. 'He pounded 'em noble--that's sartin. Mebbe if he licks a few more men I'll begin to like him.' "'Give him a chance,' was my answer. 'I hear that you are going to move for the summer.' "'Goin' to my island to-morrow,' said Deacon Joe. 'I'm sick of the autymobiles an' the young spendthrifts hangin' around Marie, an' her extravagance, an' the new church nonsense, an' the other goin's-on. I've got a good house there, an' Marie an' I are goin' to rest an' stroll around without bein' run over until her mother comes back. The only trouble I have there is the hired men. They rob me right an' left. I wish somebody would lick them.' "'You really need a young man like Harry,' I urged. 'And Marie needs him. She'll be lonely over there.' "'Not a bit,' said the Deacon. 'She'll have a saddle-horse, and young Knowles can come over once a week, if he wants to. I hear he's done splendid lately.' "'He's doing well, but I am inclined to think that Harry is the better man,' I said, taking sides for the first time. "'I don't believe it,' was the answer of Deacon Joe. 'Knowles is getting pretty sensible, and his voice is stronger.' "The Deacon moved next day, and when Sunday came I went over in a boat with the Reverend Robert at eight o'clock in the morning. I was taking a stroll on the beach when I met him, and he asked me to go along. It was just a social call, he explained. Incidentally, he was going to pray and read a Scripture lesson at the Deacon's request. As we left the dock, Harry came riding by on one of his thoroughbreds and I waved my hand to him. When we got to the Deacon's landing, I said to Robert: "'As I am not invited, perhaps you had better announce me to Deacon Joe, while I stay here in the boat.' "'All right,' he said, as he gaily jumped ashore and tied the painter rope. "Robert hurried in the direction of the little house, and had covered half the distance, when a bulldog came sneaking toward him. Robert saw the dog, and ran for a tree. He was making handsome progress up the trunk of the tree when the dog reached him, and, seizing a leg of his trousers, began to surge backward. The cloth parted at the knee, and between the pulling of man and dog, Robert lost about all the lower end of one trousers-leg. The hired man came running out with some more dogs, and said: "'It's all right, Mr. Knowles, you can come down. I hope he didn't hurt you.' "'Excuse me,' said the young man, 'but I think I'll stay here a while.' "Three dogs stood at the foot of the tree looking anxiously upward. "'They won't hurt you while I'm here,' said the hired man. "'I won't take any chances,' said Robert. 'Go shut up your lions, and I'll come down.' "'Who's that in the boat?' the hired man asked. "'Mr. Potter,' said Robert. "'Well, he mustn't land 'less the old man says so--I don't care who he is.'