"
Here a deep groan came from the direction of the pantry.
"A summons!" echoed Gordon. "What--why--what d'ye mean? What have I
been doing?"
"Oh! my dear sir," returned the officer from Kirkwall, "you do not
seem to understand the nature of the thing. You have done nothing
at all, my dear sir. We only want you to come to Kirkwall as a
witness in the case of assault--'Kinlay versus Paterson'--to be
tried today at Kirkwall."
"Oh! then, if that's all, I'm here," said Captain Miller, coming in
from the pantry and adjusting his coat.
"That is," said the man with the weatherbeaten face, supplementing
the officer's explanation--"that is the case of the broken nose,
captain. Now, we--that is, Mr. Watt and myself--have nothing to do
with it, really and truly; but the matter is just this, we are
anxious to clear off Jack Paterson, who is in our boat alongside
with us--"
Here the speaker was interrupted by the appearance of Captain
Abernethy.
"Come on, Gordon, old boy!" said he; "come along. I'm going to pay
all expenses, every penny of them. I'm willing to sport a thousand
pounds to clear Jack Paterson. Only to think of that scurvy rascal
Kinlay bringing up Jack, and him with a wife and a whole crew of
young children. Shall we allow it? No; not if I can help it. Come
along!"
Abernethy was generous, certainly.
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