nest thing by pulling her further upon the bank?"

"I won't ask 'e, sir, to beg my pardon for saying what never man said
to me, without reading the words of the contraction;" Zeb pulled out
a paper from his hat, and spread it, and laid a stone at every corner;
"this contraction was signed by yourself and Squire Darling, for and on
behalf of the kingdom; and the words are for us to give our services, to
pull, haul, tow, warp, or otherwise as directed, release, relieve, set
free, and rescue the aforesaid ship, or bark, or vessel, craft, or--"

"Please not to read all that," cried Scuddy, "or a gale of wind may come
before you are half-way through. It was Admiral Darling's lawyer, Mr.
Furkettle, who prepared it, to prevent any chance of misunderstanding."

"Provided always," continued Tugwell, slowly, "and the meaning,
condition, purport, object, sense, and intention of this agreement is,
that the aforesaid Zebedee Tugwell shall submit in everything to the
orders, commands, instructions, counsel, directions, injunctions,
authority, or discretion, whether in writing or otherwise, of the
aforesaid--"

"I would not interrupt you if I could help it"--Scudamore had a large
stock of patience (enhanced by laborious practice at Stonnington), but
who might abide, when time was precious, to see Zebedee feeling his way
with his fingers along the bottom and to the end of every word, and then
stopping to congratulate himself at the conquest of every one over two
syllables? "But excuse me for saying that I know all these conditions;
and the tide will be lost, if we stop here."

"Very good, sir; then you see how it standeth. Who hath broken them?
Not us! We was paid for to haul; and haul we did, according to superior
orders. She grounded from the south, with the tide making upp'ard,
somewhere about three-quarter flow; and the Squire, and you, and all
the rest of 'e, without no knowledge of the Pig whatsomever, fastens all
your pulley-haulies by the starn, and says, 'now pull!' And pull we did,
to the tune of sixteen guineas a day for the good of Springhaven."

"And you knew all the time that it was wrong! Well, I never came across
such people. But surely some one of you would have had the honesty--I
beg pardon, I mean the good-will--to tell us. I can scarcely imagine
some forty men and boys preserving such a secret for nine whole days,
hauling for their lives in the wrong direction, and never even by a wink
or smile--"

"Springhav