n--the wheel," I cried weakly, and then, as I heard the sound of
someone drawing in his breath, I strove to speak once more and called
out:

"Turn the wheel."

It began to move directly, but taking me down into the water, and I
uttered a cry, when the wheel turned in the other direction, drawing me
out and up. My arms straightened out; I was drawn closer to the
wood-work. I felt that I should slip off, when my toes rested upon one
of the bars, while, as I rose higher, the tension on my arms grew less,
and then less, and at last, instead of hanging, I was lying upon my
chest. Then a pair of great hands laid hold of me, and Piter was
licking my face.

Pannell told me afterwards that he had to carry me all along the narrow
stone ledge to the window of his smithy, and thrust me through there
before climbing in after me, for it was impossible to get into the yard
the other way without a boat.

I must have fainted, I suppose, for when I opened my eyes again, though
it was in darkness, the icy water was not round me, but I was lying on
the warm ashes down in one of the stoke-holes; and the faint glow of the
half-extinct fire was shining upon the shiny brown forehead of the big
smith.

"Pannell!" I exclaimed, "where am I?"

"Get out!" he growled. "Just as if yow didn' know."

"Did you save me?"

"'Sh, will yo'!" he whispered. "How do we know who's a-watching an'
listening? Yow want to get me knob-sticked, that's what yow want."

"No, no," I said, shivering.

"Yow know where we are, o' course. Down in the big stokul; but be
quiet. Don't shout."

"How did you know I was in there?"

"What, in yonder?"

"Yes, of course; oh how my arms ache and throb!"

"Let me give 'em a roob, my lad," he said; and strongly, but not
unkindly, he rubbed and seemed to knead my arms, especially the muscles
above my elbows, talking softly in a gruff murmur all the while.

"I did give you a wink, lad," he said, "for I know'd that some'at was on
the way. I didn' know what, nor that it was so bad as that theer. Lor'
how can chaps do it! Yow might hev been drowned."

"Yes," I said with a shiver. "The cowards!"

"Eh! Don't speak aloud, lad. How did you get in? Some un push thee?"

"Push me! No; the platform was broken loose, and a trap set for me,
baited with a wheel-band," I added angrily.

Pannell burst into a laugh, and then checked himself.

"I weer not laughing at yow, lad," he whispered, "but at owd Gentles.