We all think the most
of what we have had a hand in ourselves, don't we Miss Sandal? It's
nothing but natural. And as soon as this run, through Joe's head,
he found himself getting middling sorry for the old man; and he
said, "What will you give me to get you your own bits of stones
back again?"
He cocked up his ears at that, and asked if his "speciments," as he
called them, were safe. "Ay," said Joe, "they are safe enough.
Nobody hereabout thinks a little lot of stones worth meddling with,
so long as they don't lie in their road." With that the jolly-jist
jumped up, and said Joe must have something to eat and drink. Then
Joe thought to himself, "Come, come, we are getting back to our own
menseful way again." But he would not stir a peg till he heard
what he was to have for getting the stones again; for Joe knew he
would never hear the last of it, if he came home empty-handed. They
made it all right very soon, however; and the old man went
up-stairs, and brought down the two leather bags, and gave them to
Joe to carry, as if nothing had happened; and off they started,
very like as they did before.
The Skeal-Hill folk all gathered together about the door to look
after them, as if they had been a show; but they neither of them
minded for that, but walked away as thick as inkle-weavers till
they got to the foot of our great meadow, where the stones were all
lying just as Joe had turned them out of the bags, only rather
grown over with grass.
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