SUMMER HOURS ON BREYDON 119 



set the water off more to the north'ard. Arter they'd dug 

 down a bit with hard tools they got the dredger up and 

 finished the job. Old ' Vamps ' Neave was watchman, and 

 he gits a bit full, you know, and goes up in an old Norwegian 

 pram, and makes a mess gitten aboard, slippin' off the plank, 

 you know ; but he catches his finger-inds on it and hangs like 

 grim death. When they found him, a'most onconscious, two 

 or three hours arterwards, they could hardly break his grasp. 

 Gord bliss my sowl and body! I've picked up several dade 

 people, and couldn't break their hand-hold if it's only a 

 stone, they never let go. 



" Drink, sir, yes ! it's mostly that an' accidents go togither. 

 Old 'Pintail's ' father he'd bin lookin' arter Lawyer Preston's 

 houseboat, up theer by the ' Fleet ' : they was after a few pike 

 and tench and perch perch ? Yes, theer wor plenty in them 

 days in the Fleet 'deek.' 'Son' Ford and old Johnny was 

 goin' to Yarmith for grub an' that, and they was both pritty 

 full, and they makes the sheet fast. A puff of wind turns 

 'em over. Johnny sunk, and ' Son ' Ford (his son, ' Sonny ' 

 Ford 's alive now) hangs to the upturned punt, and we pulls 

 him out. We hurried down to the beach and got some skate- 

 lines, and havin' marked the stakes, and allowed for the tide, 

 rows in two boats ; at the first haul we'd hooked him. 



" The masterpiece blow I was ever in," continued Lam, 

 " was one September. We was smeltin' on the flats, and I 

 says to old * Blue/ * I don't like the looks o' that squall 

 workin' up,' so we hurries in the nets and was half full of 

 water afore we'd got 'em in. That same breeze (it was from 

 the nor'ard) blowed the sail clean out of the wherry Lucy 

 she was loden with forty ton o' coal, and driv her on the south, 

 and filled her nearly level with the coombin's. Oby, the 

 skipper, hallered for me, and we had to go and take him off, 

 or he'd a-perished durin' the night, the cabin bein' full o' 

 water. You'd hardly think as things could turn up so rough 

 up here till you know'd for yerself!" 



By this time we had landed at the entrance to the Bure. 

 ##***-# 



Many stories of accidents, some of a serious and others of 

 a humorous kind, might be related of men who "follow" 

 Breydon. Two of the latter, each disagreeable to the chief 

 participant, I may mention. 



