"What's the rumpus ?" Fairchild, with Mother Howard, both laughing happily, was just behind Herbenfelder.

And behind them was thronging half of Ohadi.
"We thought you were drowned!" "Me ?" Harry's laughter boomed again, in a way that was infectious.
"Me drowned, just because I let out a 'oller and dropped my 'at ?" "You did it on purpose ?" Sam Herbenfelder shook a scrawny fist under Harry's nose.

The big Cornishman waved it aside as one would brush away an obnoxious fly.

Then he grinned at the townspeople about him.
"Well," he confessed, "there was an un'oly lot of water in there, and I didn't 'ave any money.

What else was I to do ?" "You--!" A pumpman had picked up a piece of heavy timbering and thrown it at him in mock ferocity.