"Why, drown me if old Joe didn’ come upon us, and, worse than that, when we’d cracked him on the head, who should come bouncing down-along but Squire’s boy and young Sam Pollex, vowin’ and swearin’ they’d shoot us through the gizzard if we laid a finger on the old man." "The deuce they did! and you knocked them on the head, of course?" The look of uneasiness passed from Trevanion’s face. "Well, no, not ’zackly. ’Twas Squire’s son, you see." "What of that? You should have cracked their numskulls together and sent ’em home howling. Afraid of two boys! What did you do, may I ask?" "Crackin’ skulls is all very fine, but we didn’ want a crowner’s ’quest on young Squire. No, no, we don’t want hangman’s necklace chokin’ the breath out of us. We let ’em take old Joe home-along, arter they’d give their Bible word to be mum as gravestones." "Then you were a pack of fools. Don’t you see the monkeys were spying on you? ’Twas they brought Joe, without a doubt, though I’d like to know how they got wind of the business." "Well, if I didn’ think it! ... Here’s Zacky Tonkin. Maister Trevanion was sayin’ as they two brats spied on us, Zacky." "Not they, ’a b’lieve," said Tonkin, who had come up. "Young Squire said he’d no mind to meddle wi’ the business, but was only a bit tender over old Joe." "And you believe that!" said Trevanion, angrily flicking his riding-whip. "Make no mistake, the Squire has turned on you. I happen to know that Mildmay has been twice to the Towers of late; the Squire’s as poor as a church mouse, and informer’s pay will be riches to him." "Squire turn informer!" cried Tonkin. "I can’t believe it." "I can, though," said Doubledick. "When a man’s as low down in the world as Squire, he’ll do a deal o’ dirtiness to fill his purse, ’a b’lieve." "Of course he will," said Trevanion. "You don’t know the world, Tonkin. Depend upon it, a good many golden guineas will find their way to the Towers before a week’s out." Tonkin was an honest fellow, save in so far as the King’s revenue was concerned, and had that simplicity of soul which is incredulous of trickery in others. He was not proof against the cunning suggestions of Trevanion. Naturally short-tempered and violent, he smote the flank of Trevanion’s horse a blow that set it prancing, and cried with a savage oath:— "Then I’ll make ’em pay for ’t, as sure as my name be Zack Tonkin. I will so." "Hee! hee! That ’a will," said Doubledick, rubbing his hands. "They golden guineas ’ll be a bad egg, to be sure." Trevanion smiled. He had laid the train; he could trust his minions to fire it. "Well, we’ll speak no more of that," he said. "I’m riding to Truro: can you tell what for?" "Not for more furnichy?" said Tonkin. "Goin’ a-courtin’, hee! hee!" smirked Doubledick. "No, no; I shan’t trouble the parson yet awhile. I’m going to open the mines again, my men." "Then I’m sorry for ’ee," said Tonkin bluntly. "Mines were worked out long ago."