第96章

anditsohappenedthattheblowwhichIstrucktheTinkerbeneaththeearwasaright-handedblow。

’HurrahforLongMelford!’IheardBelleexclaim；’thereisnothinglikeLongMelfordforshortness，alltheworldover。’AtthesewordsIturnedroundmyheadasIlay，andperceivedtheFlamingTinmanstretcheduponthegroundapparentlysenseless。’Heisdead，’saidthevulgarwoman，asshevainlyendeavouredtoraisehimup；’heisdead；thebestmaninallthenorthcountry，killedinthisfashion，byaboy!’Alarmedatthesewords，Imadeshifttogetonmyfeet；and，withtheassistanceofthewoman，placedmyfallenadversaryinasittingposture。Iputmyhandtohisheart，andfeltaslightpulsation-’He’snotdead，’saidI，’onlystunned；ifhewereletblood，hewouldrecoverpresently。’I

producedapenknifewhichIhadinmypocket，and，baringthearmoftheTinman，wasabouttomakethenecessaryincision，whenthewomangavemeaviolentblow，and，pushingmeaside，exclaimed，’I’llteartheeyesoutofyourheadifyouoffertotouchhim。Doyouwanttocompleteyourwork，andmurderhimoutright，nowhe’sasleep？youhavehadenoughofhisbloodalready。’’Youaremad，’

saidI，’Ionlyseektodohimservice。Well，ifyouwon’tlethimbeblooded，fetchsomewaterandflingitinhisface，youknowwherethepitis。’

’Aprettymanoeuvre!’saidthewoman；’leavemyhusbandinthehandsofyouandthatlimmer，whohasneverbeentruetous-I

shouldfindhimstrangledorhisthroatcutwhenIcameback。’’Doyougo，’saidItothetallgirl；’takethecanandfetchsomewaterfromthepit。’’Youhadbettergoyourself，’saidthegirl，wipingatearasshelookedontheyetsenselessformoftheTinker；’youhadbettergoyourself，ifyouthinkwaterwilldohimgood。’Ihadbythistimesomewhatrecoveredmyexhaustedpowers，and，takingthecan，IbentmystepsasfastasIcouldtothepit；

arrivingthere，Ilaydownonthebrink，tookalongdraught，andthenplungedmyheadintothewater；afterwhichIfilledthecan，andbentmywaybacktothedingle。BeforeIcouldreachthepathwhichleddownintoitsdepths，Ihadtopasssomewayalongitsside；Ihadarrivedatapartimmediatelyoverthesceneofthelastencounter，wherethebank，overgrownwithtrees，slopedprecipitouslydown。HereIheardaloudsoundofvoicesinthedingle；Istopped，andlayingholdofatree，leanedoverthebankandlistened。Thetwowomenappearedtobeinhotdisputeinthedingle。’Itwasallowingtoyou，youlimmer，’saidthevulgarwomantotheother；’hadyounotinterfered，theoldmanwouldsoonhavesettledtheboy。’

’I’mforfairplayandLongMelford，’saidtheother。’Ifyouroldman，asyoucallhim，couldhavesettledtheboyfairly，hemightforallIshouldhavecared，butnofoulworkforme，andasforstickingtheboywithourgulleyswhenhecomesback，asyouproposed，IamnotsofondofyouroldmanoryouthatIshouldobligeyouinit，tomysoul’sdestruction。’’Holdyourtongue，orI’ll-’Ilistenednofarther，buthastenedasfastasIcouldtothedingle。Myadversaryhadjustbeguntoshowsignsofanimation；thevulgarwomanwasstillsupportinghim，andoccasionallycastglancesofangeratthetallgirl，whowaswalkingslowlyupanddown。IlostnotimeindashingthegreaterpartofthewaterintotheTinman’sface，whereuponhesneezed，movedhisha