SANDPIPERS AND THE SANDERLING 53 



collar with both hands, lifted him up, and then 

 plumped him down, at the same time daring him 

 to move. Equally coolly, he pulled the barrel of 

 his gun out of the sand and placed it in the boat 



" Give way ! " 



In a few moments Splashey was on solid ground 

 with his true friends. The first thing they did was 

 to shake hands with him in the most hearty manner 

 congratulating him on his escape ; then, with thaf 

 strange contradiction common to human nature, they 

 swore again at him in the most plain terms. They'd 

 " a good mind to chuck him in agin, and drown 

 him fur a powder-wastin' old fool." 



Baulk suggested "ager-mixtur " ; but "Where 

 from ? " he was asked. 



" From the looker's," very coolly answered thai, 

 active dyke-leaper. 



Now, although that Looker had in the course of 

 his " dooty " threatened Baulk with dire marsh-land 

 vengeance when he trespassed, he now handed him 

 a dumpy bottle with a smile, merely remarking "it 

 would be a pity to lose Splashey, for he made fust- 

 rate boots an' shoes." 



When he could hold his head up a bit, for he 

 had been terribly unnerved, Craft asked him if " he'd 

 bin takin' lessons in jumping from his old tom-cat." 

 It looked like it the way he got in the boat ; and 

 another, in mildly sarcastic tones, asked him if " he 

 thought he was tater dibbin' when he stuck his gun- 

 barrel into that 'ere sand-spit, and why he had let 

 all his fowl float away ? " 



