ve been nowhere 'at aw know on," sed Sucksmith, "aw felt all
reight a bit sin, an' aw ligg'd daan o' some sheets o' wool an' fell
asleep, an' aw niver knew aw ail'd owt wol aw coom in here to wesh me."

"Why then it will be th' cattle plague, its nowt else, ther's a deal o'
sheep had it lately; an' varry likely that's some o' ther wool 'at tha's
been sleepin on. But ha does ta feel?"

"Oh, aw feel varry mich alike all ovver,--awm feeared its up we me
ommost, an' this has come for a warnin, for aw havn't behaved misen
reight latly. But if awm spared to get ovver this awl alter."

"Why tha luks as if tha'd awther getten a warnin or a warmin, bith color
o' thi face," sed one, "but aw think tha'd do wi' a glass o' summat to
cooil thi daan a bit,--a red Indian's a fooil to thi."

"It must be summat serious," sed another, "are ta th' same color all
ovver?"

"Aw dooant know awm sure, an'. aw havn't strength to luk," he sed.

But one o'th' chaps roll'd up his briches slop to see; "Nay, thi leg is
all reight." "Well," sed Musty, "tha knows it may be soa, for we've
heeard tell o' th' fooit and maath desease, an' this may be th' heead
an' hand complaint. But what do yo think it'll be th' best for him to
do?"

"I shuild advise him to goa hooam at once, but if ony body should see
him they'll varry likely tak him for a literary chap becoss he's so
deeply red." "Well, whether they tak him for a little-hairy chap or
net, he'll pass for a red hairy chap an' noa mistak," sed Hiram.

But Sucksmith fancied he felt soa waik wol he didn't think he'd be able
to walk hooam, soa after all biddin him "gooid bye," for fear they mud
niver see him agean an one chap axin him to be sure an' tell his first
wife if he met her up aboon, 'at he'd getten wed to her sister, they
sent him hooam in a cab.

"Nay fer sewer! Whativer wi ta say? An' whativer did their Margit say
when shoo saw him? He must ha luk'd a pictur."

"Nay, aw dooant know what shoo sed, but ther wor a rare racket ith' hoil
awl a-warrant thi. But th' gurt softheead stuck in it, 'at he wor
poorly, an' as shoo saw he wornt sober shoo humoured him wi lettin him
goa to bed. Next mornin he'd come to his senses a bit, soa shoo let him
have sich a bit o' tongue as he hadn't had latly, for tha knows shoo's a
glaid when shoo starts, for if awd to say quarter as mich to my felly as
shoo says to him sometimes, he'd niver darken th' door agean. He began
to see what a fooil they'd been makk