"That's me, Sir John. I haven't been neither sick nor sorry all the five years I've been with you, 'cept that time when I cut my hand with the broken decanter." "An outdoor servant," continued Sir John, rather sternly, passing over his man's interruption--"a man with something of the gamekeeper about him--a man who can tramp through woods, carry rifles and guns, and clean them; use a fishing-net or line; row, chop wood and make a fire; set up a tent or a hut of boughs; cook, and very likely skin birds and beasts. In short, make himself generally useful." "And valet you and Mr Jack, Sir John," interposed the man. "Certainly not, Edward; we shall leave all those civilised luxuries behind. You see I want a thorough outdoor servant, not such a man as you." "Beg pardon, Sir John," cried the man promptly; "but it's me you do want, I'm just the sort you said." "You?" said Sir John, smiling rather contemptuously. "Yes, Sir John. I was meant for an outdoor man, only one can't get to be what one likes, and so I had to take to indoor." Sir John shook his head. "You are a very excellent servant, Edward," he said, "and I shall have great pleasure in giving you a very strong recommendation for cleanliness and thorough attention to your duties. I cannot recall ever having to find fault with you." "Never did, Sir John, I will say that; and do you think I'm going to leave such a master as you and Mr Jack here, though he does chuck big books at me!" he said with a grin. "Not me." "I thank you for all this, Edward, but--" "Don't, don't say no, Sir John--in a hurry," cried the man imploringly. "You only know what I can do from what you've seen; and you know that having a willing heart and 'and 's half-way to doing anything." "Yes," said his master with a smile; "I know too that you're a very handy person." "Hope so, Sir John; but I'm obliged to stick up for myself, as there's no one here to do it for me. There ain't nothing you want done that I can't do. Father was a gamekeeper and bailiff and woodman, and when I was a boy I used to help him, cutting hop-poles with a bill-hook, felling trees with an axe, and I've helped him to make faggots, hurdles, and stacks, and tents, and thatched. I've helped him many a time use the drag and the cast-net, fishing. I can set night lines, and I had a gun to use for shooting rabbits and varmint, and I learned to skin and stuff 'em. We've got cases and cases at home. I used to wash out the master's guns, and dry and oil them; and as for lighting fires and cooking, why, I beg your pardon for laughing, Sir John, but my mother was ill for years before she died, and I always did all the cooking. Then I've had a turn at gardening and stable work; and as for the water, I can row, punt, or sail any small boat. I don't say as I could tackle a ship, but if there was no one else to do it, I'd have a try; and--beg pardon, Sir John, there's the front-door bell." "Go and answer it," said Sir John quietly.