ster, tidy! Going to handle a spade again to-morrow."

"Nonsense, man! you're too weak yet."

"Weak! Who says so? I don't, and the doctor had better not."

"Never mind that. I want you to tell me how all this happened."

"He ar'n't half a bad un, mester," said the injured man, ignoring the
remark, as he held on to the boy's hand. "We're mates, that's what we
are. See him stand up again me that day? It were fine."

"Yes; but you must tell me how this occurred. I want to take some steps
about it."

"Hey! and you needn't take no steps again it, mester. I shall lay hold
on him some day, and when I do--Hah!"

He stretched out a huge fist in a menacing way that promised ill to his
assailant.

"But do you know who it was?" said the engineer.

"It warn't him," growled Bargle, smiling at Dick. "He wouldn't come and
hit a man when he's asleep. Would you, mate?"

"I wouldn't be such a coward," cried Dick.

"Theer! Hear that, mester! I knowed he wouldn't. He'd hev come up to
me and hit me a doubler right in the chest fair and square, and said,
`now, then, come on!'"

"Then someone did strike you when you were asleep, Bargle, eh?"

"Dunno, mester; I s'pose so. Looks like it, don't it?"

"Yes, my man, very much so. Then you were woke out of your sleep by a
blow, eh?"

"Weer I? I don't know."

"Tell me who have you had a quarrel with lately?"

"Quarrel?"

"Well, row, then."

"Wi' him," said the big fellow, pointing at Dick.

"Oh, but he would not have come to you in the night!"

"Who said he would, mester?" growled Bargle menacingly. "Not he. He'd
come up square and give a man a doubler in the chest and--"

"Yes, yes," said the engineer impatiently; "but I want to know who it
was made this attack upon you--this cowardly attack. You say it was
while you slept."

"Yes, I s'pose so; but don't you trouble about that, mester. I'm big
enough to fight my bit. I shall drop on to him one of these days, and
when I do--why, he'll find it okkard."

Mr Marston questioned and cross-questioned the man, but there was no
more to be got from him. He s'posed some un come in at that theer door
and give it him; but he was so much taken up with Dick's visit that he
could hardly think of self, and when they came away Mr Marston had
learned comparatively nothing, the big fellow shouting after Dick:

"I've got a tush for you, lad, when I get down to the dreern again--one
I digged out, and you shall hev it