“Nay, my lad, she won’t mind; and—”
“Tom Bodger’s going to sail my boat home,” put in the boy, hastily, “and I shall hang over the side and bathe my face as I go. I say, all of you, I’m sorry I got into this bit of trouble, but it wasn’t my fault.”
“Course it wasn’t,” said the fisherman. “We all know that, and you’ve give some on ’em a lesson, my lad. Well, if you won’t come, my lad, you won’t.”
“It’s only because I want to get back home,” said Aleck, warmly. “It’s very kind of you all the same.”
A few minutes later the boy was seated in the stern of the boat, while Tom Bodger stood up, looking as if he, too, were sitting, as he thrust the little craft along by means of the boat-hook and the pier walls, while the fishermen walked along level with them to the end, where half a dozen of the boys had gathered.
“Give him a cheer, lads,” said the big fisherman, and a hearty valediction was given and responded to by Aleck, who took off and waved his cap.
But just then a hot-blooded and indignant follower of defeated Big Jem let his zeal outrun his discretion. Waiting till the group of fishermen had turned their backs, he ran to the very end of the pier, uttered a savage “Yah!” and hurled the very-far-gone head of a pollock after the boat.
The next minute he was repenting bitterly, for the big fisherman made four giant strides, caught him by the waistband, and the next moment held him over the edge of the pier and would have dropped him, struggling and yelling for mercy, into the sea, but Aleck sprang up and shouted an appeal to his big friend to let the boy go.
“Very well,” growled his captor; “but it’s lucky for him, Master Aleck, as you spoke. Warmint!” he growled to the boy, lowering him to the rugged stones. “Get home with yer. I’m going on by and by to your father, my lad. Be off.”
The boy yelled as he started and ran off, limping, and with good cause, for the boots the fisherman wore were very loose and hung down gaping to his ankles, as if to show how beautifully they were silver-spangled with fish scales, but the soles were very thick and terribly hard, especially about the toe.