Produced by Lionel Sear NICKY-NAN, RESERVIST. By Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch, ('Q') Contents. Chap. I. HOW THE CHILDREN PLAYED. II. CALL TO ARMS. III. HOW THE MEN WENT. IV. THE FIRST SERMON. V. THE ANONYMOUS LETTER. VI. TREASURE TROVE. VII. "QUID NON MORTALIA PECTORIA . . ." VIII. BUSINESS AS USUAL. IX. THE BROKEN PANE. X. THE VICAR'S MISGIVINGS. XI. THE THREE PILCHARDS. XII. FIRST ATTEMPT AT HIDING. XIII. FIRST AID. XIV. POLSUE _V_ PENHALIGON, NANJIVELL INTERVENING. XV. THE 'TATY PATCH. XVI. CORPORAL SANDERCOCK. XVII. THE SECOND SERMON. XVIII. FEATHERS. XIX. I-SPY-HI! XX. MISS OLIVER PROFFERS ASSISTANCE. XXI. FAIRY GOLD. XXII. SALVAGE. XXIII. ENLIGHTENMENT, AND RECRUITING. XXIV. THE FIRST THREE. NICKY-NAN, RESERVIST. CHAPTER I. HOW THE CHILDREN PLAYED. When news of the War first came to Polpier, Nicholas Nanjivell (commonly known as Nicky-Nan) paid small attention to it, being preoccupied with his own affairs. Indeed, for some days the children knew more about it than he, being tragically concerned in it--poor mites!--though they took it gaily enough. For Polpier lives by the fishery, and of the fishermen a large number--some scores--had passed through the Navy and now belonged to the Reserve. These good fellows had the haziest notion of what newspapers meant by the Balance of Power in Europe, nor perhaps could any one of them have explained why, when Austria declared war on Servia, Germany should be taking a hand. But they had learnt enough on the lower deck to forebode that, when Germany took a hand, the British Navy would pretty soon be clearing for action. Consequently all through the last week of July, when the word "Germany" began to be printed in large type in Press headlines, the drifters putting out nightly on the watch for the pilchard harvest carried each a copy of _The Western Morning News_ or _The Western Daily Mercury_ to be read aloud, discussed, expounded under the cuddy lamp in the long hours between shooting the nets and hauling them. "When the corn is in the shock, Then the fish is on the rock."