A'a dear! sarved thi reight, as if tha could'nt see a
whole tub! What are ta splashin' like that for?"
But poor Jimmy couldn't spaik, for he wor wedged as fast as a thief in a
miln, an' nowt but his legs an' his arms could be seen. Molly catched
howd on his legs an' tried to pool him aght, but th' heigher shoo lifted
his feet an' th' lower sank his heead, soa ther wor noa way to do but to
roll it over an' teem him aght.
"This beats all," says Molly, as shoo helped him up, "couldn't ta see
it?"
"Does ta think aw've a e'e i' th' back o' my heead?" he said, "it's all
long o' thee, an' dang it that watters whoot."
"It's like to be whoot," shoo says, "did ta iver know folk wesh i' cold
watter, tha lumphead?"
"Well, what shall aw have to do? Aw'm as weet as a sop, to say nowt ov a
blister or two.
"Tha mun goa thi ways to bed an' throw thi clooas daan th' stairs an,
aw'll see if aw connot dry 'em off for thi."
Soa up stairs he went an' flang his weet things daan, sayin' at th' same
time, "If tha finds any buttons off tha can suit thisen whether tha puts
'em on or net."
"Aw've summat else to do nor sew for thee, tha's made we wark enuff,"
shoo said.
It did'nt tak long for Molly to dry th' cloas an' shoo raylee felt
sooary for him after all, soa shoo set too an' stitched him a button or
two on, an' as shoo said, "mensened him up a bit for he wor somebody's
poor lad."
He wor sooin drest nice an' comfortable agean an' then he thowt it wor
time to goa an' see what had come o' Slinger.
As sooin as he coom near th' coit he could hear him snoaring away ommost
as laad as a trombone. "Well tha'rt a bonny en" he said "to be paid
aght o'th rates for keeping a sharp luk aght. Aw did think to bring thi
summat to sup but its a pity to disturb thi. Aw'll try another dodge an
see ha' that'll act."
Away he went an' in a minit or two coom back wi a huggin o' strea, an'
quietly oppenin th' door he shoved it in,--he then walked off mutterin
"tha'll be capp'd when tha wackens owd lad."
As th' day began to grow shorter a few owd faces began to peep in to see
ha Molly wor gettin on an' to taste ov her drink. When ther'd getten
abaght a hauf a duzzen on em Jim slipped aght an' sammed up all he
could find i'th' shape o' buckets an' had em filled wi watter an' not o'
th' cleanest sooart,--then he lit a wisp o' strea just aghtside o'th'
pighoil door an' waited wall th' smook had begun to curl nicely up:--
then he darte
|