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It all happened in a moment, though I seem to take so long telling about it; for, almost before the instructor could take a double turn with his half-inch round `Ugly's' body and the rigging, half-a-dozen seamen, who had been hailed by the officer of the watch, the grey-haired gunner, had footed it up the ratlines and were in the top fixing a whip and purchase, to which one of the hammocks had been attached.
The summer is not the proper season for rabbit-shooting; so Walter, who was never to be tempted by the best chance of killing game even a day out of season, would not permit either Harry or himself to shoot at the objects of Ugly's furious energy until it was legitimate. That conduct of Walter and Harry was beyond Ugly's comprehension. I have often seen him try to understand it.
The wound in my side, which was really only a scratch, I never mentioned to any one, not even to Mick, who thought, and to this day knows nothing to the contrary, I believe, that I had guarded off `Ugly's' thrust, and had been only stabbed in the arm.
I kept my right hand well up on guard, across my chest; and, my left fist being extended, I caught my gentleman a pretty tidy blow under the chin that floored him as quickly as before. "Bedad, Tom, ye had him there!" cried Mick, dancing round me in ecstasy, while `Ugly's' second was picking him up. "Jist giv' him a onener in his bread-basket, me jewel, an' ye'll finish him!"
"Come here, sir," said Harry to Ugly; "now why have you not eaten this nice meal, eh?" Ugly's answer was merely to turn his head one side and look out at the sea, as if very much interested in something he saw so much so as not to be able to attend to what Harry asked him. "You dainty rascal, come along and eat this meal; it is good enough for any dog."
Now Ugly's supper consisted of two things he could never be induced to eat ham and cold potatoes; and Harry, from mischief he knew, however, that the dog had had a hearty dinner prepared those things purposely, supposing that Ugly's daintiness would fail in a twelve hours fast. But no; there the edibles were untouched.
They won't git smashed up, I guess," said the other. "I've seen that gal of Hautville's with that mare of his'n. She kin drive most anythin' short of the devil, an' old white's got sense enough to know when he's well driv, ugly's he is. He wa'n't on the track for nothin'. He ain't no wuss, if he's as bad, as that roan mare. Let 'em go it!"
"Ugly's return at this critical time rather upset Logan's plans. Hit would interfere with his gittin' a bank opened and himself back on the payroll. If Ugly had been flush with funds, had employed lawyer Gregory to git Ugly's death-order rescinded, en pried into the details of the old lady's estate, hit would have blowed the lid off.
We other fellows were also allowed to be there to take charge of Ugly, who entered into the sport as warmly as any of us. We generally stayed on the neck until near sunset, and just as the rabbits were out for their supper, started for home. That was Ugly's half-hour of sport, in which he was always sure to bring two or three rabbits round to the guns.
Mr Clare knew there was some important reason for Ugly's appearing in that manner, and though he did not suspect the exact state of the case, yet he lifted him in his arms and got on board the boat, which had now hauled in close to the rocks. "Which way will're go, sir?" asked the grey, gruff boatman. "Keep down south of the cape, near in shore. Clump says they went west," answered Mr Clare.
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