riends, we stood good chance o' bein'
robb'd an' plundered if net summat war. Besides, wat an immense
diff'rence it will mak to Haworth, wen shoo can export her awn
manufacturs to all th' civilised an' uncivilised world, an' by means o'
steam find thair way into rejuns niver trod but bi feet o' wild craturs
an' beasts o' prey. But to makt story short ah mean to say it will be a
grate comfort an' a blessing to both th' lame an' lazey, an' speshally to
th' latter. But as th' time wur gettin' on fastish, as it ollus does wen
thare's owt to be done, so Mr. Ouden finisht his speech as follows:--

Put yor shoulders to work an' ne'er be danted,
Think yer behint an' there's no time to dally,
For na is the time yor assistance is wanted
I' makkin yor railway along the Worth Valley.

Th' Spring-head Band then played sum o' thair favorite tunes, 'Oud Rosen
the bow,' 'Jessey's Pig,' an' ended wi' 'God save th' Queen,' an' all
departed to thair homes wi' smiling faces.

CHAPTER II.

Double, double, toil an' trouble.

Nah then lads for wark, nowt but wark'll do, an' theas 'at can't wark mun
plan. This wur th' cry all up an daan Haworth next morning, an' for
weeks all wor vary bizzy. One man made a wheelbarra it'h chamber, but it
wor soa big wal it cudn't be gotten aat withaat takkin th' haase side
daan. Anuther invented a koulin' machine to koul th' muck up both sides
to save wheelbarras an' work toils for th' navvies. Some started a
practicin' for porters a th' railway, wi' oppenin' an' shuttin' th' oven
doors wi' a bang, shaatin' aat a'th' same time 'All aat for Haworth.'
One man wur trying th' dodge on, an' th' cat wur i'th' ovan, an' poor
thing expectin' 'at it wur i'th' wrong place jumpt aat just at th' time
'at he wur wistling to start, an' wur catcht bi th' tail an' th' poor
thing lost it, for it wur cut off as clean as a wistle. A crookt legg'd
pedl'r come fra Keighla one day wi' winter edges, an' thay tuk him for a
sapper an' miner 'at hed com to mezhur for th' railway, an' mind yo they
did mak sammat on him, thay thout 'at th' winter edges wur th' apparatus
to mezhur by. But hasumever th' reightens cum at after, an' a sore
disaster thay hed yo mind, for thay laid plan o'th' railway daan at green
swarth an' a oud kaa belangin' to Blue Beard swallow'd th' job, thay
tried to save 'em but all i' vain; a sor do wur this for both folk an'
th' railway, for it put em a year or two back an' f