“Don’t say that. I am very proud to be one, but I say—”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you think, instead of paying compliments to one another, we ought to go and get our wounds properly seen to?”
“Yes, it would be more sensible. You’ll turn off, and go round by the cliff?”
“Yes, where the path comes up from the river,” replied Ralph.
“And we’ll finish that fight as soon as ever we can,” said Mark.
“Very well. I suppose we must see who’s best man.”
“Of course.—Hallo! who’s this?”
A figure was dimly-seen coming up through the bushes, along the track just mentioned, and directly after, it became fully visible as Master Rayburn with his fish-creel on his back, and rod on shoulder; and they saw the old man stop short and cry:
“Shade of good Queen Bess! What’s the meaning of this?”