he
edge.

"Here y'are," he cried. "That there tumbled out o' window, and I
ketched it and brought it here."

As he spoke he threw down the coil of nearly new rope, and I felt so
delighted that I could have gone up to him and shaken hands.

"Well, that's a good un, that is," said Ike with a chuckle. "I am 'bout
fine and glad o' that."

He took the rope and tied it up to the ladder again, and then turned to
me.

"Come along and get some breakfast, my lad," he said. "I dessay you're
fine and hungry."

"But how about Shock?"

"Oh, we'll send him out some. Here, you, Shock, look after the cart and
horse. Don't you leave 'em," Ike added to the man; and then we made our
way to a coffee-house, where Ike's first act, to my great satisfaction,
was to procure a great mug of coffee and a couple of rolls, which he
opened as if they had been oysters, dabbed a lump of butter in each, and
then put under his arm.

"He don't deserve 'em," he growled, "for coming; but he did show me
where you was."

"And he saved the rope," I said.

Ike nodded.

"You sit down till I come back, my lad," he said; and then he went off,
to return in a few minutes to face me at a table where we were regaled
with steaming coffee and grilled haddocks.

"This is the best part of the coming to market, my lad," he said, "only
it's a mistake."

"What is?" I asked.

"Haddocks, my lad. They're a trickier kind o' meat than bloaters. I
ordered this here for us 'cause it seemed more respectable like, as I'd
got company, than herrin'; but it's a mistake."

"But this is very nice," I said, beginning very hungrily upon the hot
roll and fish, but with a qualm in my mind as to how it was to be paid
for.

"Ye-es," said Ike, after saying "soup" very loudly as he took a long sip
of his coffee; "tidyish, my lad, tidyish, but you see one gets eddicated
to a herring, and knows exactly where every bone will be. These things
seems as if the bones is all nowhere and yet they're everywhere all the
time, and so sure as you feel safe and take a bite you find a sharp
pynte, just like a trap laid o' purpose to ketch yer."

"Well, there are a good many little bones, certainly," I said.

"Good many! Thick as slugs after a shower. There's one again, sharp as
a needle. Wish I'd a red herrin', that I do."

"I say, Ike," I said suddenly, as I was in the middle of my breakfast,
"I wish I could make haste and grow into a man."

"Do you, now?" he said with a