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I'll soon get oop another house when I've been and seen neighbour Hickathrift for some wood. Now, then, off you go, and see who's best man over the ice." "One moment, Dave," cried Dick, checking himself in the act of starting. "It was easy enough to come here with the fire to guide us, but we must know which way to go back." "Ay, to be sure, lad," cried Dave eagerly.
Dick did not finish his speech, for at that moment Hickathrift stretched out one of his great arms, and his big hand closed with a mighty grip on the constable's shoulder, making the man utter a sharp ejaculation. "That'll do," he growled. "Yow shoot thee neb. Man as says owt again Mester Dick here's saying things agen me." "What do you mean?" cried the constable.
He threw the rope, and Dick caught the end and recoiled it preparatory to making a start over the moss. "Nay, nay, stop!" shouted Hickathrift. "I must go and try if I can't put it round him, Hicky," cried Dick. "Come back, thou'lt drownd thysen," shouted Dave excitedly.
Then Jacob come, and we got the missus down and poled her along here, but was nearly swept by." "You're a good fellow, Hickathrift," cried the squire. "Wife, get out some hollands; we're perished. Have a glass, my man; and then we must go in the punt to Grimsey and get the Tallingtons out. We're all right here, but Grimsey Farm will soon be flooded to the bed-room windows.
"Now Dave, lad, haul alongside, and make your rope fast to the ring-bolt," cried Hickathrift; and this was done, the punt swung behind, and the great Saxon-like fellow sat up laughing. "Is it all safe?" cried the squire. "Ay, mester, so long as that bough don't part; but I've got my owd ear full o' watter, and it's a-roonning down my neck. But say, mester, it's a rum un." "What is, my lad?"
Hickathrift shouted to his wife, who had risen and dressed in his absence, and in a short time the squire was lying upon a mattress with Hickathrift eagerly searching for the injury which had laid him low; but when he found it, the wound seemed so small and trifling that he looked wondering up at Dick. "That couldn't have done it," he said in a whisper. The wheelwright was wrong.
The man was sharply examined by the engineer, a fresh messenger in the shape of Hickathrift being found to carry on the demand for the doctor. But there was very little to learn.
"You ought to have gone to the doctor, or had him, same as Mr Marston did." "Tchah!" ejaculated Hickathrift. "Why, he had no bones broken. Doctors don't understand bone-setting." "Who says so?" "The bone-setter." "Well, is it getting better, Hicky?" "Oh yes! It ar'n't very bad. Going down to the drain?" "Yes. Mr Marston's found a curious great piece of wood, and the men are digging it out."
"Nay, but if he says as it were me, I'll go and pitch him into the watter." "You did not hear, then?" cried the squire, huskily. "Hickathrift, he says it was done by those boys!" "What!" roared the wheelwright. "It's a lie, father!" shouted Dick, recovering himself and running out. "Here, ask Tom." "Why, of course it's a lie," cried Tom. "But that man says " cried the squire.
All this time Hickathrift was diligently using the pole in the larger boat, and Dave leading the way in the other, both being well laden now, and progressing fairly fast toward the Toft, which stood up like an island of refuge in the midst of the vast lake, dotted here and there with the tops of trees.
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