or this I cared little. He was a very old man, and when he
came on shore and went up to old Nanny with the few things he had
collected during the day, I almost wondered how he could manage to
subsist, and thought myself infinitely better off than he was.

One evening he said to me, "Jack, I'm going up the river, I wish you'd
come in the boat and help me, and if I make anything I will give you
something for your trouble, but if I don't you can't expect it."

As he was very infirm I went with him, more out of charity than with any
hopes of profit. We pulled with the tide till we arrived a little above
Deptford, where several ships were lying, and he went close to one and
lowered down his grapnels. He dragged for a short time.

"Just you make a little farther off, old fellow," cried the mate of the
vessel.

"Won't allow a poor old man to earn a few pence, I suppose," replied Old
Grumble, hauling up his grapnel and directing me to pull under the bows,
where he dropped it down again. I now perceived, as I thought, some
signs passing between him and one of the men in the head; but if so,
they were soon over, and Old Grumble continued his avocation till the
sun set.

"How long do you intend to remain here?" inquired I. "Oh, not much
longer, but I must wait a bit." At last it was quite dark, and then
Grumble pulled up his grapnel and dropped down nearer to the cutwater of
the vessel. I soon distinguished a tinkling, as it were, of metal; and
Old Grumble, holding up his hands, received some sheets of copper, which
were lowered down by a rope-yarn. As soon as they were quietly landed
in the stern of the boat, down came a bag, which he cast off and laid
beside the copper. I was all astonishment, but still more so when a
large bag of something weighing very heavy was lowered down by a rope
after the small bag. A low whistle was then given, and the words
"Monday night" pronounced in a whisper. Grumble whistled in return, and
then, hauling up the grapnel, he told me to put out the oars and pull,
while he took his grapnel on board. We then pulled down the river
again, for the tide had turned, and as soon as we were clear of the
shipping I began to interrogate him.

"Who gave you all these things?"

"Who? Why, that man."

"But what did he give them you for?"

"Why, out of charity, to be sure! But I can't talk now, I've no breath
to spare. Let's pull ashore, and then I'll talk to you."

As we pulled down I obs