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 ha’ done that an hour sin’; but we’re teed wi’ a bit o’ band,’ says Joe. So in a while I got down and loosed ’em wi’ my penknife; and Scott would ride wi’ me, to tell me all how it happened; and t’ others are coming on as fast as their feet will bring them.”

“Well, I am greatly obliged to you, Mr. Yorke.”

“Are you, my lad? you know you’re not. However, here are the rest approaching. And here, by the Lord! is another set with lights in their pitchers, like the army of Gideon; and as we’ve th’ parson wi’ us,—good-evening, Mr. Helstone,—we’se do.”

Mr. Helstone returned the salutation of the individual in the gig very stiffly indeed. That individual proceeded:—

“We’re eleven strong men, and there’s both horses and chariots amang us. If we could only fall in wi’ some of these starved ragamuffins of frame breakers, we could win a grand victory; we could iv’ry one be a Wellington,—that would please ye, Mr. Helstone; and sich paragraphs as we could contrive for t’ papers! Briarfield suld be famous; but we’se hev a column and a half i’ th’ Stilbro’ Courier ower this job, as it is, I daresay: I’se expect no less.”

“And I’ll promise you no less, Mr. Yorke, for I’ll write the article myself,” returned the Rector.

“To be sure! sartainly! And mind ye recommend weel that them ’at brake t’ bits o’ frames, and