Part 65 (1/2)

”There, moother said he'd be over proud to tak it,” said the younger lad resentfully to his brother.

”No, I am not too proud,” I said; ”give it to me. What is it?”

”Best knife they maks at our wucks,” said the boy eagerly. ”It's rare stoof. I say, we're going to learn to swim like thou.”

They both nodded and went away, leaving me thinking that I was after this to be friends with the Arrowfield boys as well as the men.

They need not have put it in the newspaper, but there it was, a long account headed ”Gallant rescue by a boy.” It was dressed up in a way that made my cheeks tingle, and a few days later the tears came into my eyes as I read a letter from my mother telling me she had read in the newspaper what I had done, and--

There, I will not set that down. It was what my mother said, and every British boy knows what his mother would say of an accident like that.

It was wonderful how the works progressed after this, and how differently the men met us. It was not only our own, but the men at all the works about us. Instead of a scowl or a stare there was a nod, and a gruff ”good morning.” In fact, we seemed to have lived down the prejudice against the ”chaps fro' Lunnon, and their contraps.h.i.+ons;” but my uncles knew only too well that they had not mastered the invisible enemy called the trade.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

A TERRIBLE RISK.

”What are you staring at, Cob?”

It was Uncle Jack who spoke, and Uncle d.i.c.k had just come up with him, to find me in the yard, looking up at the building.

It was dinner-hour, and all the men had gone but Pannell, who was sitting on a piece of iron out in the yard calmly cutting his bread and meat into squares and then masticating them as if it were so much tilt-hammer work that he had to do by the piece.

”I was thinking, Uncle, suppose they were to set fire to us some night, what should we do?”

”Hah! Yes: not a bad thought,” said Uncle d.i.c.k sharply. ”Pannell!”

”Hillo!” said that gentleman, rising slowly.

”Finish eating your bread and meat as you go, will you, and buy us twenty-four buckets.”

”Fower-and-twenty boockets,” said Pannell, speaking with his mouth full.

”What do yow want wi fower-and-twenty boockets?”

”I'll show you this evening,” replied my uncle; and, handing the man a couple of sovereigns, Pannell went off, and both Uncle Jack and I laughed at the quick way in which Uncle d.i.c.k had determined to be provided for an emergency.

The buckets came, and were run by their handles upon a pole which was supported upon two great hooks in one of the outhouses against the wall of the yard, and some of the men noticed them, but the greater part seemed to pay not the slightest heed to this addition to our defences.

But at leaving time, after a few words from Uncle d.i.c.k to Uncle Jack, the latter stood in the yard as the men came out, and said sharply:

”Four-and-twenty men for a window wash. Who'll help?”

A few months before, such a demand would have been met with a scowl; but quite a little crowd of the men now stopped, and Pannell said with a grin:

”Wonder whether there'll be a boocket o' beer efter?”

”Why, of course there will, my lad,” cried Uncle Jack, who ranged the men in order.