ion was acceptable; so, leaving the fine rain dripping
from the hop-bine, three men came, dragging their legs after them,
threading their way through the poles till they all stood together,
wiping their streaming faces with their bare arms, and gazing down at
the recumbent figure, at which the bucket-bearer smiled, the others
following his example, and ending in a hearty chuckle, in which Smiler
joined.

"Shall I gi'e him a bucket, Joey?" he said again.

"Nay," said the man addressed. "Nobody never give you a bucket, Smiler,
when you lay down in a ditch."

The others laughed, and Smiler winced a little.

"Make him wet outside as well as in!"

"Yah! We don't want to spoil his red coat," said Joey; "he's got it
pratty will syled without. Why, he must ha' been here all night! Here,
soger, wake up!"

There was no movement.

"D'yer hear? Right about face! 'Tention!"

"Well, he must have had a good wet! How did un come here?"

"I d'know," said one of the men. "Take two shillin' worth o' yale to
make a man like that."

"Ay," said Smiler. "Know how they do it?"

"Saves up," said Joey.

"Yah! They don't get no money to save. I'll tell 'ee. My cousin,
Billy Weekes, 'listed--you all knew Billy?"

"Ay!" chorussed the others, as they stood gazing down at the
scarlet-coated figure lying with its face hidden by a drooping tangle of
hops caused by the breaking of a pole.

"Billy tode me," continued Smiler, "as, when one on 'em gets leave, he
goes round among his mates, and they all gi'es him a penny or twopence
apiece--hundred on 'em, p'r'aps--and that sets him up!"

"Ay?" said Joey. "And when their turn comes he gi'es them all a penny?"

"Yes; that's it--all round. So they chaps as goos out allus has some'at
to spend."

"And a very good way, too," said Joey, chuckling. "Well, I could drink
a quaart now, and I've got a penny; s'pose you three chaps all gi'es me
one apiece, for my throat's as dry as a lime-basket."

The men looked at one another and chuckled.

"Hadn't us better wake un up?" said Smiler, at last.

"Ay, 'fore he gets a drenching with the hop-wash," said Joey. "Here!
hi! soger! Why, he's got a bottle in his fist here still. It's--"

The man, who had bent down low and drawn aside the verdant veil of
hop-bine, started back in alarm; for, as the sunshine was let in, a
couple of large vipers, which had been nestling close up to the figure,
raised their heads and began to crawl away.