ON MARSH AND DYKE 317 



on N Island, for I had sojourned amongst the East- 

 coast marshmen, and knew their gentle ways so well. 



Handing Tommy a shilling, I ordered him to lead on. 

 He led on with alacrity over the same sort of " bridges " 

 as we crossed when walking to the fleet in the earlier part 

 of the day. 



" I'll be hanged if I cross any more of these infernal 

 planks, for I am full of splinters already," suddenly cried 



B , after he had wriggled crab -fashion over the third 



" bridge." 



" Whoy don't 'ee walk over 'em like a man, instead of 

 a-setting down at one end of the plank and a-puUing of 

 yerself along on yer behind like a owd cock- crab until ye 

 gets t'other end. Come on, maister, there be only foive 

 more on 'em to get over." 



Poor B remained for a moment absolutely speech- 

 less ; then, with a snort of rage, he threw down his gun 

 and made a rush at Tommy, who, however, dodged past 

 his pursuer and went fleeting over the marshes, yelling 

 at the top of his voice as he ran. 



Suddenly there was a tremendous splash, followed by 

 loud cries of " Help, help ! " together with a gurgling 

 volley of the most unlawyerly ^ language I had ever 

 heard a respectable barrister use — or ever hope to hear 



again. Then I knew that B had received a second 



" marshman's baptism " ! Picking up his gun, I ran in 

 the direction whence the " music " proceeded. 



^ I have failed to find the word unlawyerly in either Nuttall's or Slang 

 Dictionary. 



