nd whaat I be
agoing to do."

They had moved a little away from the cottage now, but Luke lowered his
voice:

"Oi be agoing down to t' town in the morning to give moiself oop vor the
murder of Foxey."

Bill gave an exclamation of astonishment:

"But thou didn'st do it, Luke?"

"I moight ha' done it for owt thou know'st, Bill. He wer the worst of
maisters, and, as thou know'st, Bill, oi hated him joost as all the
countryside did. He's been warned by King Lud and ha' been obliged to
get the sojers at his factory. Well, thou knowest it was nateral as
he would drive down last noight to see how t' chaps at t' engine was
a-getting on, and it coomed across my moind as it wer a good opportunity
vor to finish un; so ther thou hast it."

Bill gazed in astonishment through the darkness at his companion.

"But it bain't true, Luke? Thou wast talking to me arter thou coom'd out
of the Coo at noine o'clock, an thou saidst as thou was off to bed."

"Nowt of the koind," Luke replied. "Oi told ye, thou know'st, as I wer
a-going down to t' toon and oi had got a job in hand. Oi spoke mysterous
loike, and you noticed as how oi had got a long rope coiled up in moi
hand."

Bill gave a gasp of astonishment.

"That's what thou hast got to say," Luke said doggedly; "only astead o'
its being at noine o'clock it war at ten. Oi were just a-slipping owt
of the cottage, t' others were all asleep and knew nowt aboot moi having
goone out."

Bill was silent now.

"Oi wish oi had a-thowt of it," he said at last; "oi would ha' doon it
moiself."

"Oi wouldn't ha' let thee, Bill," Luke said quietly. "He be a friend of
thine, and oi know thou lovest him loike a brother, and a soight mor'n
most brothers; but it be moi roight. The captain gave his loife vor moi
child's, and oi bee a going vor to give mine for his. That will make us
quits. Besides, thou art young; oi be a-getting on. Jarge, he will be
a-arning money soon; and Polly, she can get a place in sarvice, and 'ul
help t' young uns. They will manage. Oi ha' been thinking it over in all
loites, and ha' settled it all in moi moind."

Bill was silent for a time and then said:

"Ther be one thing agin' it, Luke, and it be this: As we can't hear nowt
of Maister Ned, oi be a thinking as he ha' made straight vor Liverpool
or Bristol or London, wi' a view to going straight across the seas or of
'listing, or doing somewhat to keep out of t' way. He be sure to look in
t' papers, to see how t