Thorpeley's hurt badly." They heard a low whistle, then the wheelwright's orders given sharply to his apprentice, followed by the dull _thud, thud_ of his boots as he ran off; and directly after the punt glided in and its bow was seized by the big strong hand upon which the soft glowing light of the horn lanthorn shone.
"Hey, but what's the matter with the man ?" cried Hickathrift.

"We've been wondering why he didn't come back." "I don't know, only we heard a shot," said Dick excitedly; "and then we heard someone calling for help, and found him lying ashore." "Let me get a good howd on him," said the wheelwright; and with one foot in the boat he passed his great arm under the constable and lifted him out as tenderly as if he had been a child.
But, gentle as was the wheelwright's act, it roused the injured man, who seemed to be driven into a fit of fury by the pain he suffered, and he burst into a torrent of bad language against Hickathrift and the two boys, which he kept up till he had been carried into his lodging and laid upon his bed.
"Hey, lads," said the wheelwright with a low chuckle, as he walked down with the boys to where the lanthorn still hung upon the willow-stump, the care of the constable having been left to the women; "he don't seem to hev lost his tongue." "But he's very bad, isn't he ?" said Dick anxiously.
"I should say no," replied Hickathrift.

"Man who's very badly don't call people." "But his leg ?" "Ay, that's badly.

I give the hankycher a good tighten up, and that hot him, so that he had to howd his tongue." "That made him hold his tongue, Hicky ?" "Ay, lad.

I med him feel that if he didn't shoot his neb, I'd pull tighter, and so he quieted down.