or.
His dog still barked, and in the silence Will could hear a clink and
thud as it leapt to the limit of its chain. Then out of the night a
lantern danced at Newtake gate, and Blanchard, his eyes now trained to
the gloom, discovered several figures moving about it.

"Baggered if it bau't that damned Grimbal come arter my gate-post," he
gasped, launched instantly to high wakefulness by the suspicion. Then,
dragging on his trousers, and thrusting the tail of his nightshirt
inside them, he tumbled down-stairs, with passion truly formidable, and
hastened naked footed through the farmyard.

Four men blankly awaited him. Ignoring their leader--none other than
Martin himself--he turned upon Mr. Blee, who chanced to be nearest, and
struck from his hand a pick.

"What be these blasted hookem-snivey dealings, then?" Will thundered
out, "an' who be you, you auld twisted thorn, to come here stealin' my
stone in the dead o' night?"

Billy's little eyes danced in the lantern fire, and he answered hastily
before Martin had time to speak.

"Well, to be plain, the moon and the dog's played us false, an' you'd
best to knaw the truth fust as last. Mr. Grimbal's writ you two
straight, fair letters 'bout this job, so he've explained to me, an' you
never so much as answered neither; so, seem' this here's a right
Christian cross, ban't decent it should bide head down'ards for all
time. An' Mr. Grimbal have brought up a flam-new granite post, hasp an'
all complete--'t is in the cart theer--an' he called on me as a
discreet, aged man to help un, an' so I did; an' Peter Bassett an' Sam
Bonus here corned likewise, by my engagement, to do the heavy work an'
aid in a gude deed."

"Dig an inch, wan of 'e, and I'll shaw what's a gude deed! I doan't want
no talk with you or them hulking gert fules. 'T is you I'd ax, Martin
Grimbal, by what right you'm here."

"You wouldn't answer my letters, and I couldn't find it in my heart to
leave an important matter like this. I know I wasn't wise, but you don't
understand what a priceless thing this is. I thought you'd find the new
one in the morning and laugh at it. For God's sake be reasonable and
sensible, Blanchard, and let me take it away. There's a new post I'll
have set up. It's here waiting. I can't do more."

"But you'll do a darned sight less. Right's right, an' stealin's
stealin'. You wasn't wise, as you say--far from it. You'm in the wrong
now, an' you knaw it, whatever you was before. A n