IV 'CAN'T' 235 



some o'em said 'twas a move o' his master's; 

 how he was going to hae boats on the beach, 

 up against us, an' had sent his foreman out to 

 learn the job, like, for when he should hae 'em. 

 I thought p'raps he'd had a word or two wi' his 

 master — never wasn't the chap to stand much yap 

 from anybody. I mind well enough he had a 

 cough what seemed as if 'twas going to tear his 

 inside out; shaked 'en, it did, like a southerly 

 gale on my ol' front window. There he'd stay, 

 an' cough. "Why doesn't get In house or go 

 back to thy work in the warm?" I asked 'en 

 one day when I see'd 'en standing 'bout out to 

 beach. 



' "I can't," he says. 



'"Can't!" says I. "G'out! What do 'ee 

 mean by can't"^ Take an' go back to thy job. 

 There hain't nort for 'ee out here." 



' "An't 'ee got a job for a chap?" he says. 



' "I can't give 'ee a job," I told 'en. "An' if 

 'tis going to sea you wants, I can't take 'ee 'long 

 wi' me, not while I got Jack Ruccombe" — that's 

 my wife's brother — "not while I got Jack Ruc- 

 combe for mate. I don't want no other. 

 'Twouldn't be fair on he." 



* "Then you'm fixed up ?" says he. 



