70 THERS' A MULE i'tH' GARDEN. 



they could make nowt aght." It wor a varry nice day, an off they set c 

 ther eearand. 



Nah it just soa happened at Jim o' long Joans (they used to call him 

 Jimmy-long for short), wor looking aght oth' winder, an saw em coming; 

 ther wor noaboddy ith' haase drinking but hissen, soa emptying his quart 

 daan th' sink, he tell'd Molly to be aware, for ther wor mischief brewing ; 

 an then he bobbed under th'seat. In abaght a minit three on em coom in, — 

 not i' ther blue clooas an silver buttons, but i' ther reglar warty duds. 



" Nah, owd lass," said one, " let's have hauf-a-gallon o' stifE-shackler 

 • :; Ink sharp." 



" What do yo want, maister ? I think yo've come to th' rang haase ; 

 do yo tuk this to be a jerry -hoil, or ha ? " said Molly. (They'd ta'en care 

 to leave Slinger aghtside, cos they knew he'd be owned.") 



Nay, nah come," they said, " its all r^ight mmi, here's th' brass, 

 sithee, fotch a soop up for we're all three as dry as a assmidden." 



" Why, if yo are reight dry," shoo saj's, (an bith' mas^ they wor, for 

 they'd been walking a bit o' ther best), tlier's lots o' watter ith' pot under 

 th' table, but be as careful as yo con, for it bides a deal o' fetching — but 

 I wodn't advise yo to fill yor bellies o' cold watter when yo're sweating 

 is nooan a gooicl thing mun. Have yo come fur ? Yo luk as if yo'd be.m 

 running aght oth' gate o' summat, but I hope yo've been i' noa sooart o' 

 mischief; hasimiever, sit yo daan an cooil a bit. 



They set em daan, for they wor fesened what to do, en at last one on 

 em whispered, " I believe Slinger's been having us on, seeking th' fiddle, but 

 if he has we'll repoort him an get him discharged like a shot " 



" Why," said another, " ha is it he is'nt here ? " Whore's he gooan ? " 



lie's hid hissen ith' pigcoit jiist aghtside. I expect he'll be omniost 

 stoled o' waiting by this, but let him wait, he desarves it for bringing 

 folk o' sich eearands as theease. We'.st nobbut get laft at when we get 

 back, soa what think yo if we goa an say nowt abaght it ? He'll nooan 

 stop long I'll warrant." 



" Well, nowt hut reight," they said ; soa bidding th' owd woman gooid 

 day, they set off back. Wl;en they went aght, Jimmy crope throo under 

 th' longsettle, an' luking at IMoIly he said, " Nah. have I done thi a gooid 

 turn this time owd craytur "? 



" Tha has. Jim, an I'm varry mich obleeged to thi, lad," shoo says, 

 ' an tha shall have another quart at my expense." 



" Net yet, thank thi, Molly. I havn't done wi this— ther's a bit ov a 



