in the big office with my
uncles, who were talking about this last trouble.

"Well, my man, what is it?" said Uncle Jack.

Pannell began to lift up his hammer-head slowly and let it fall back
again into his left hand, staring straight before him with his dark
eyes, which were surrounded with the black marks of the gunpowder which
clung still to the skin.

"What do you want, Pannell?" I said, giving him a touch on the arm; but
the hammer rose and fell still by the contraction of his right hand, and
went on tap--tap--falling into his left.

"Why don't you speak?" I said again, quite impatiently.

"I know," he growled. "I want to speak."

"We are listening," said Uncle Dick. "What have you to say?"

"Look here," cried Pannell, giving his hammer a flourish round his head
as if he were about to attack us. "I'm a man--I am."

"And a good big one, Pannell," said Uncle Bob smiling.

"Wish I were twyste as big, mester! Theer!" cried Pannell.

"I wish you were if it would be any comfort to you," said Uncle Bob to
himself.

"I've been a-thinking o' this out while I've been hammering yonder, and
I want to speak."

"Yes," said Uncle Jack. "Go on."

"Look ye here, then," cried Pannell, flourishing his hammer round as if
he were a modern edition or an angry Thor; "does anyone say I telled on
'em? Did I tell on 'em, mesters? Answer me that."

"What! About the outrages?" said Uncle Dick firmly.

"Outrages, mester!"

"Well, the attempts to blow us up."

"Ay!--the trade business. Did I ivver come and say word to anny of
you?"

"Never."

"Or to yow, youngster?"

"Never, Pannell. You always went against us," I said, "when a word from
you would--"

"Theer, that'll do. Tell me this--Did I ivver tell on anny on 'em?"

"No; you have always been true to your party, Pannell--if that is what
you mean."

"And that is what I mean," said the great fellow, throwing his head
about and jerking out his words, each with a menacing flourish of the
hammer or a mock blow, as if they were steel words that he wanted to
strike into shape.

"Nobody accused you of tale-bearing to us," said Uncle Dick.

"Didn't they, mester?" he roared. "What's this, then, and this, and
this?"

He touched the scars upon his head and brow, and the sticking-plaster
left on.

"Don't you call that saying I telled on 'em, wi'out the poother in my
forge this morning?"

"A cowardly brutal thing to have done, my man."

"Ay, so 'twas.