"And what’s more," added Mail, "he hev took three men-servants into house, purgy fellers they be too, so’s to hev a army to lead agen the enemy. They’ll eat a deal o’ meat, they will, and sartin sure he’ll be in a passion at losin’ money over this crop." "Hee! hee!" laughed Doubledick. "It do make me laugh, neighbours, to think o’ Maister John leadin’ a army agen Boney. I’ll go up-along to-morrer and see this practisin’ wi’ pikes and firelocks; ’twill do me good, hee! hee! They miners had better turn sojers out and out, for they’ll never get tin or copper enough out o’ the earth to pay for their keep." Doubledick strolled up the hill next day, and stood with a look of keen enjoyment on his face as a score of miners drilled under Trevanion’s direction. At the close of the exercise he accosted Trevanion. "’Tis a noble sperit, to be sure, Maister John," he said, "but daze me if I think yer new sojers and yer iron shetters will keep out Boney and his thousands and millions. He’s a tarrible feller, by all accounts." "’Tis every man’s duty to defend his country so far as he is able," said Trevanion coldly, beginning to move away. "Iss, sure," said Doubledick, keeping pace with him; "and it must cost ’ee a tidy bit o’ money. But I be afeard it bean’t much good. Why now, s’pose ’twas not Boney, but one of his simple generals, or no sojer at all, but a plain feller like me—or like Delarousse, say. I say, s’pose Delarousse took it into his head to hev his revenge for the trade he’ve a-lost, to wipe off old scores, as ye may say—jown me if he’d be flustered by a passel o’ miners or a shetter or two. Howsomever, ’tis not for me to say. Ye do know more about the arts o’ warfare nor I, I reckon." "Your tongue runs on, Doubledick," said Trevanion with a hollow laugh. His annoyance was plain to see: the fellow was presuming on the secret between them. "Iss, I be forgettin’ what I come to say," said Doubledick. "The folks at the Towers be at their tricks again, seemingly." "If I knew it!" cried Trevanion furiously. "If you catch young Dick, or that wretched follower of his, spying, I hope you’ll take care they don’t do it again. You squared the officers on your own matter; can’t we keep them quiet on the trade?" "Ah! that’s different. To jail me wouldn’ put money in their pockets, like seizin’ a cargo. I’m afeard ’t ’ud take more nor the crop’s worth to put ’em quiet on that, Maister. But there now! we allers do hev ups and downs; maybe the ups will beat the downs in the end."