CHAPTER IX
AT THE LIGHTHOUSE
"Good-marnin', Mr Trematon, and good-marnin' tu you young gen'lmen," exclaimed the genial farmer as the patrols halted outside the farmhouse. "Du'ee come right in and have a drink o' milk. Mary, du'ee ask missus tu bring a score o' glasses out; cups'll du, if there bain't enow."
Refreshed, the Scouts began their tour of inspection, their host accompanying them and answering to the best of his ability the innumerable questions with which his visitors plied him. Not once but a dozen times Farmer Trebarwith was forced to own himself beaten, so intricate were some of the problems put to him.
"There be Polkerwyck House," announced the farmer, pointing to a long, two-storeyed stone mansion lying in a broad valley snugly sheltered from the north and east by a steep, tree-clad hill. "Sir Silas Gwinnear lives there when he's at home, which ain't often. Heard the latest news about his affair in Lunnon, sir?"
Mr Trematon shook his head. Newspapers were to be almost strangers to him during the fortnight at Seal Island. Atherton felt a strange sensation in his throat; he realised that if the miscreants had been caught it meant an end to his holiday at Seal Island, since he would have to be one of the principal witnesses for the prosecution.
"The police says as that they knows who the villains are as half murdered Sir Silas," continued Farmer Trebarwith. "Only the rascals have padded the hoof—gone somewhares to foreign parts. They says as 'ow Sir Silas, bein' 'ead of the Associated Shippers' Federation—whatever that might mean—has upset some o' the dockers over the new scale o' payments, and the dockers have got their back up."
"Look, they're haymaking over there," exclaimed little Reggie Scott. "What fun it would be if we could toss the hay about."
"Du it, an right welcome, young gen'lmen," said the farmer. "Us be tur'ble short-handed, what with three o' my chaps 'aving gone to 'Merica, and two more down wi' mumps. Sure, I'd be main glad to see the hay safe under cover afore the rain comes on." And Trebarwith glanced anxiously towards the western sky.