Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/469

Rh me'aster tellt un off fur th' watchin', as a worn't much good i' th' fields.

"A'll do 't," says Fred, "ef thou'll lemme slep i' da'ay."

But no'a, th' me'aster wu'dn't do that. A mun run erran's o' da'ay, an' do light jobs, sin' a cu'dn't wo'k proper; an' that wor nuthin'. A mun arn 's kep, an' watch ahl noight, or 'd to'n 'm a'out.

"Wal', here's tryin'!" says Fred, "an' th' Lord kep 'm off th' ricks, ef a goo t' slep!"

Th' fust noight or two a kep 'wa'ake most ahl th' toime, but efterd's a tuk to slepin' 's soun' 's if a wor in 's bed. An' nat'rally to last, 't coom as 'd bin thowt.

Th' fa'armer wor woke oop wi' a bright shin in', an' soon 's a looked a'out o' winder, theer wor 's ricks ahl a blazin'.

Da'oun a gan' in 's bare legs, ragin' 'n' sweerin' while th' divil's sel' 'd a bin 'shamed on 'im.

"Wheer's that scoun'rel?" a yelled.

An' ahl to wanst a seed un, slepin' i' th' moock, soun' 's a babby, 'side th' pigs, i' th' garth.

Wal', a reckon th' fa'armer 'd nowt strong 'nuff i' th' sweerin' wa'ay to fall back on. A jist said nowt, but a looked loike a white devil, shinin' throff wi' evil an' spite an' choked wi' bad wo'ds.

A jist wa'alked over 'n' pick oop th' lad an' dragged un arter 'm to th' blazin' ricks; an' 'fore Fred 'd cle'an ma'ade oop 's min' ef th' pigs wor tuk bad wi' th' colic, or ef 't wor a yarthquick, the fa'armer oop wi' 'n 'n' heaved un i' th' mid o' th' blazin' rick.

"Kep off!" a said, stutterin' an' stammlin' wi' anger; "a'll kill annywan as lif's a han' to he'p un!" an' a tuk ho'd on a gre'at sto'on' an' look round 's wicked 's wicked.

An' th' fellers wor feared on un, an' so cum 'at 'fore tha'd cle'an sattled what tha'd do, Fred wor burnt ahl oop i' th' mid o' th' rick, wheer a'd cot i' th' roops 'n' cu'dn't git loose.

An' that's th' en'. Wal', 't mout be true, 's a tellt 'ee; tha wor stra'ange 'n quare fo'ak to than. Annyways that's as a heerd it.