if they would come, the more the better--to come over to tea
on the following Saturday afternoon, and he promised them as much
strawberries and cream as they could eat. The invitation was largely
accepted, and the boys all agreed that a jollier meal they never
sat down to than that which was spread on tables in the farmer's
garden. The meal was called tea, but it might have been a dinner,
for the tables were laden with huge pies, cold chicken and duck,
hams, and piles of cakes and tarts of all sorts. Before they started
for home, late in the evening, syllabub and cake were handed round,
and the boys tramped back to Deal in the highest of glee at the
entertainment they had received from the hospitable farmer and his
wife.

Great fun had been caused after tea by the farmer giving a humorous
relation of the battle with which his acquaintance with Frank had
commenced, and especially at the threat of Frank to send a bullet
into his eye if he interfered with him. When they left, a most
cordial invitation was given to Frank to come over, with any friend
he liked to bring with him, and have tea at the Oaks Farm whenever
he chose to do so.



CHAPTER III: A TOUGH YARN


"You had a close shave the other night," one of the boatmen remarked
to Frank, as a few days after the adventure he strolled down with
Ruthven and Handcock to talk to the boatman whose boat had been
lost, "a very narrow shave. I had one out there myself when I was