"Well, I’ll go alone then; but they’ll want two witnesses, I believe, before any justice will commit him." "They will, I believe, but I won’t be one. No, I couldn’ bring myself to ’t." "What on earth do you mean?" cried Dick in amazement. "’Tis your duty to bring the villain to justice." "Villain he is, and I’d crack his skull as soon as look at him. But as to duty—I knows my duty, Maister Dick, and my duty is to let un bide. Besides, never could I face the stoor of appearin’ in a court o’ justice. Theer’d be lawyer fellers in wigs and gowns, axin’ me this, that, and t’other till I wouldn’ know whether I pitched on my head or my heels. But I’d fain fetch un a crack on the nuddick, so as ’a couldn’ stir for a fortnight." "Oh, well, of course ’tis your business," said Dick, somewhat offended. "If you don’t prosecute him, I suppose he’ll go free. ’Tis no concern of mine." And he returned to the Towers, and told his father that old Joe hadn’t so much spirit as he thought. Two hours before, Penwarden had received a visit from Mr. Mildmay and Mr. Polwhele. When they informed him that Doubledick had returned, he started up, seized his hat, and declared with great vehemence that he would go straight along to the Parsonage and get Mr. Carlyon’s warrant for the villain’s arrest. The revenue officers had much ado to appease him, and only when Mr. Mildmay made a strong appeal to his sense of duty as an old Navy man did he agree to the inactive course proposed. "If ’tis a matter of duty to the King, as ye say, sir," he remarked, "I reckon I do know my duty as well as any man. Hain’t I served with Lord Admiral Rodney? Not a man of us but did what he bid at once, or he’d ha’ knowed what for. Did I ever tell ’ee how the Lord Admiral spoke to me special one day?" "Well now, let me see," said Mr. Mildmay, who had heard the story a score of times. "Did you ever hear it, Polwhele?" "In Jamaica, wasn’t it, Joe?" said the riding-officer, who having been on the coast ten times as long as Mr. Mildmay, had probably heard the story ten times as often. "No, ’twas on Plymouth Hoe, sir. I was cruisin’ theer one day when who should I see beatin’ up but Lord Admiral Rodney, convoyin’ two handsome females—ah! as clippin’ craft as ever I seed. While I was standin’ by, all of a sudden he put up his helm and steered right across my bows. ’Get out of the way, you cross-eyed son of a sea-cook!’ says he, and the two females laughed like a brook in June. Ah! ’tidn’ every common mariner as could say he’d been spoke to special by sech a fine man-o’-war as Lord Admiral Rodney." "You’re right, Joe," said Mr. Mildmay. "No admiral at all, let alone a great man like Rodney, ever spoke to me, worse luck. Well then, you’ll let matters rest, old fellow, and you won’t be sorry for it." "But I may crack un over the skull if he gets in my way, I s’pose?" "Well, yes, but not too hard; dead men tell no tales, you know."