"I'll go and see," said Mr. Brown.
In the stable a fight was going on between his son in a fur rug and his son's friend in a table-cloth and a tea-cosy. Upon both faces were the remains of corked moustaches. A broken fern-pot and a battered top hat were on the floor. Another boy in a mackintosh and a little girl in a lace curtain were watching.
"THOU BEASTLY OLE ROBBER," DOUGLAS WAS SHOUTING,
"I WILL KILL THEE DEAD AND CUT OUT THY FOUL,
BLACK HEART."
"Thou beastly ole robber," Douglas was shouting, "I will kill thee dead and cut out thy foul, black heart."
"Nay!" yelled his son. "I will hang thee from my mountain ere dawn dawns and thy body shall dangle from the gallows——"
A wistful-looking old man on a packing-case was an absorbed spectator of the proceedings. When he saw William's father he took out his watch with a guilty start.
"Surely——" he said. "I'd no idea—Heavens!"
He picked up his hat and almost ran.
******