Page:Adrift on an Ice-Pan (1909).djvu/115

Rh about th’ b’y ’e was goin’ to see, it bein’ too late to reach un, an’ us tol’ un ’is life was worth so much more ’n th’ b’y, fur ’e could save others an’ th’ b’y couldn’. But ’e still fretted.

“’E ’ad ripped th’ dog-harnesses an’ stuffed th’ oakum in th’ legs o’ ’is pants to keep un warm. ’E showed it to we. An’ ’e cut off th’ tops o’ ’is boots to keep th’ draught from ’is back. ’E must’a’ worked ’ard all night. ’E said ’e droled off once or twice, but th’ night seemed wonderfu’ long.

“Us took un off th’ pan at about half-past seven, an’ ’ad a ’ard fight gettin’ in, th’ sea still runnin’ ’igh. ’E said ’e was proud to see us comin’ for un, and so ’e might, for it grew wonderfu’ cold in th’ day and th’ sea so ’igh the pan couldn’ ’a’ lived out- Rh