“He links you up with Mister Raymond,” explained Mr. Best.  “He knows you live at North Hill House, and so he’s suspicious.  You can disarm him, however, for he’s got reasoning parts quite up to the average if not above.  He’s the sort of boy that if you don’t want him to steal your apples, you’ve only got to give him a few now and then; and then he rises to the situation and feels in honour bound to be straight, because you’ve lifted him to be your equal.”

“I call that a very good character.”

“It might be a lot worse, no doubt.”

“I wanted him to come to our outing, but he won’t do that, though his mother asked him to go.”

The outing, an annual whole holiday, was won for the Mill by Estelle, and for the past four years she had taken all who cared to come for a long day by the sea.  They always went to Weymouth, where amusement offered to suit every taste.

“More than ever are coming this year,” John told her.  “In fact, I believe pretty well everybody’s going but Levi Baggs.”

“I’m glad.  We’ll have the two wagonettes from ‘The Seven Stars’ as usual.  If you are going into Bridport you might tell Missis Legg.”

“The two big ones we shall want, and they must be here sharp at six o’clock,” declared Mr. Best.  “There’s nothing like getting off early.  I’ll speak to Job Legg about it and tell him to start ’em off earlier.  You can trust it to Job as to the wagonettes being opened or covered.  He’s a very weather-wise person and always smells rain twelve hours in advance.”

CHAPTER IV

THE RED HAND

The Mill had a fascination for all Bridetown children and they would trespass boldly and brave all perils to get a glimpse of the machinery.  The thunder of the engines drew them, and there were all manner of interesting fragments to be picked up round and about.  That they were not permitted within the radius of the works was also a sound reason for being there, and many boys could tell of great adventures and hairbreadth escapes from Mr. Best, Mr. Benny Cogle and, above all, Mr. Baggs.  For Mr. Baggs, to the mind of youth, exhibited ogre-like qualities.  They knew him as a deadly enemy, for which reason there was no part of the works that possessed a greater or more horrid fascination than the hackling shop.  To have entered the den of Mr. Baggs marked a Bridetown lad as worthy of highest respect in his circle.  But proofs were always demanded of such a high achievement.  When Levi caught the adventurer, as sometimes happened, proofs were invariably apparent and a posterior evidence never lacked of a reverse for the offensive; but youth will be served, even though age sometimes serves it rather harshly, and the boys were untiring.  Unless Levi locked the shop, when he went home at noon to dinner, there was always the chance of a raid with a strick or two possibly missing as proof of success.