THERS A MULE I ' TH' GARDEN. 73 



It did'nt tak long for Molly to dry th' cloas an' shoo raylee felt sooary 

 for him after all, soa shoo set too an' stitched him a button or two on, an' 

 as shoo said, -'meusened him np a bit for he wor somebody's poor lad." 



He wor sooin drest nice an' comfortable agean an' then he thowt it 

 wor time to goa an' see what had come o' Slinger. 



As sooin as he coom near th' coit he could hear him snoariug aAvay 

 ommost as laad as a trombone. "Well tha'rt a bonny en" he said "to be 

 paid aght o'th rates for keeping a sharj) lak aght. I did think to bring 

 thi summat to sup but its a pitty to disturb thi. I'll try another dodge an 

 see ha' that'll act." 



Away he went an' in a minit or two coom back wi a huggin o'strea, 

 an' quietly oppening th' door he shoved it in, — he then walked ofE mutter- 

 ing "tha'U be capp'd when tha wackens owd lad." 



As th'day began to grow shorter a few owd faces began to peep in to 

 see ha MoUy wor getting on an' to taste ov her drink. When ther'd getten 

 abaght a hauf a duzzen on em Jim slipped aght an' sammed up all he could 

 find i'th' shape o' buckets an' had em filled wi watter an' not o'th cleanest 

 sooart, — then he lit a Avisp o' strea just aghtside o'th' pighoil door an' 

 waited woU th' smoak had begiui to curl nicely up ; — then he darted into 

 th' haase an' bawled aght "Heigh lads ! do come, — somdy's set th' pighoil 

 o' fire.'' 



Aght they flew an' sure enuff there it wor reeking away like a brick kiln 



"SIcck th' inside first'' says Jim, an' iu a twinkling one pailful after 

 another wor splashed in. Slinger sooin wackened but he wor fast what to 

 make on it, — he thowt he must be dreaming ov a storm at sea or summat. 



"Howd on ! Howd on!" he yell'd aght "what have yo agate?" 



"Do luk sharp lads" says Jim "ther's somdy inside they'll be burnt 

 to th' death. Bring some watter some on yo." 



"Ther is noan "they says" its all done." 



"Wliy mucky water '11 sleek as Aveel as clean, give us howd of a 

 pailful o' swill. We munnot have th' poor body burnt to th' death. 

 Just as Slinger was rushing aght o'th door he gate a reglar dooas as ommost 

 floor'd him. 



"Nah l^ds, lets stop a bit "says Jim" I think th' dangers ommost 

 over, — lets sec who this chap is. It's happen sonuly at wanted to burn owd 

 [Molly aght o" haase an' harbor." 



Slinger brast aght o'th door like a roaring lion, — but he wor sooin 

 I coUard, an' he wor soa bedizned wi soft cake an' puttaty parings 'at his 



