“Who’ll stop it?”
“I will,” said Vince. “It wasn’t Jemmy Carnach and his boy.”
“Eh? Oh yes, it was. Lobstering they were arter. I know.”
“No, you do not, Joe. They didn’t take it.”
“What!” cried the old man. “Then who did?”
“Mike Ladelle and I.”
“You did!” cried the old man, staring. “Why, I told you I wouldn’t let you have it, and saw you both go home.”
“But we didn’t go home,” said Vince. “We went and hid in the rocks, and watched till you’d gone away, and then we crept down to the boat and got her out.”
“You did—you two did?” cried the old man; and his hand went into the top of his trousers.
“Yes,” said Vince desperately, “and we had a long sail.”