I obeyed his orders very willingly and lay still in a good deal of pain;
but I must soon have dropped off asleep for a while, waking to find it
growing dusk. The window was still open; and through it I could hear
the creaking of baskets as they were moved, and Old Brownsmith's voice
in loud altercation with Ike.
"Well, there," said the latter, "'tain't no use for me to keep on saying
I didn't, master, if you says I did."
"Not a bit, Ike; and I'll make you pay for the damage as sure as I stand
here."
"Oh! all right! I'm a rich man, master--lots o' money, and land, and
stock, and implements. Make me pay! I've saved a fortin on the
eighteen shillings a week. Here, what should I want to hurt the boy
for, master? Come, tell me that."
"Afraid he'd find out some of your tricks, I suppose."
"That's it: go it, master! Hark at that, now, after sarving him
faithful all these years!"
"Get on with your work and don't talk," cried Old Brownsmith sharply.
"Catch that rope. Mind you don't miss that handle."
"I sha'n't miss no handles," growled Ike; and as I lay listening to the
sawing noise made by the rope being dragged through basket-handles and
under hooks in the cart, I felt so much better that I got up and went
out into the yard, to find that the cart had been carefully reloaded.
Ike was standing on one of the wheels passing a cart-rope in and out, so
as to secure the baskets, and dragging it tight to fasten off here and
there.
He caught sight of me coming out of the house, feeling dull and
low-spirited, for this did not seem a very pleasant beginning of my new
career.
"Hah!" he ejaculated, letting himself down in a lumbering way from the
wheel, and then rubbing his right hand up and down his trouser-leg to
get it clean; "hah! now we'll have it out!"
He came right up to me, spreading out his open hand.
"Here, young un!" he cried; "the master says I did that thar a-purpose
to hurt you, out of jealous feeling like. What do you say?"
"It was an accident," I cried, eagerly.
"Hear that, master," cried Ike; "and that's a fact; so here's my hand,
and here's my heart. Why, I'd be ashamed o' mysen to hurt a bit of a
boy like you. It war an accident, lad, and that's honest. So now
what's it to be--shake hands or leave it alone?"
"Shake hands," I said, lifting mine with difficulty. "I don't think you
could have done such a cowardly thing."
I looked round sharply at Mr Brownsmith, for I felt as if I had said
something that would offend him, since I was taking sides against him.