"That's for me to judge. If you engage to do my work and take my
money, you're swindling me when you go about another job as you are
now. You needn't scratch your head. You understand it all as well as
I do."

"I never was told I swindled before, and I ain't a-going to put up
with it. You may ring your own trees, and watch your own fences, and
the whole place may be burned for me. I ain't a-going to do another
turn in Gangoil. Swindle, indeed!" So Boscobel shouldered his axe,
and marched off through the forest, visible in the moonlight till the
trees hid him.

There was another enemy made! He had never felt quite sure of this
man, but had been glad to have him about the place as being
thoroughly efficient in his own business. It was only during the last
ten days that he had agreed to pay him for night-watching, leaving
the man to do as much additional day-work as he pleased--for which,
of course, he would be paid at the regular contract price. There was
a double purpose intended in this watching--as was well understood by
all the hands employed: first, that of preventing incendiary fire by
the mere presence of the watchers; and secondly, that of being at
hand to extinguish fire in case of need. Now a man ringing trees five
or six miles away from the beat on which he was stationed could not
serve either of these purposes. Boscobel therefore had been
fraudulently at work for his own dishonest purposes, and knew well
that his employment was of that nature. All this was quite clear to
Heathcote; and it was clear to him, also, that when he detected fraud
he was bound to expose it. Had the man acknowledged his fault and
been submissive, there would have been an end of the matter.
Heathcote would have said no word about it to any one, and would not