"Be it?" he said dubiously: "Well, I have punished it pretty well.
Ground's very foul and full o' bear-bine."
"Put down your spade and come along with me," I cried; "they're doing
something to the well."
"All right, I'll come!" said Ike sourly. "Pay me my wage and I'm ready.
Night work or day work, it's all the same to me, and such is life.
'Tis a rum set out."
"Don't grumble, Ike," I said, "on a morning like this."
"Grumble! That ain't grumbling. But I say, young 'un, are you glad I
come?"
"Why, of course I am, Ike."
"So am I then. I s'pose I come o' purpose to work along o' you; but I
miss my hoss a deal. I say, Old Brownsmith didn't like it a bit; but
here I am; and did you know about young Shock?"
"No: what about him? Have they caught him and sent him away?"
"No: they've caught him and give him a decent suit of clothes, so stiff
he can't hardly move in 'em, and he's took on."
"Shock is?"
"To be sure he is; and if he behaves decent his fortun's made."
"Oh, look here, my man," said Mr Solomon as we came up, "you had better
stop here and help. Lower down that ladder."
Ike took hold of the ladder as if it were an enemy, gave me a nod, and I
went and stood at the foot, so as to hold it down, while Ike raised it
erect, and then, taking it by the rounds with his strong brown hands, he
lifted it as if it had been a feather, and, walking to the mouth of the
well, let the ladder glide softly down till he held the top in his
hands; then, swinging it about, he found a resting-place for the bottom
upon a piece of wood such as were fixed across the well every ten or a
dozen feet to support the pipe and other gear of the pump.
"That do, master?" said Ike.
"Yes," said Mr Solomon. "Now, Mr Grinling, you had better try her.
Here, stop, what are you going to do?"
"Going down," said Courtenay.
"Do you know that well is perhaps very foul?" cried Mr Solomon.
"Then it's your place to keep it clean," said Philip sharply. "Go on
down, Court, or else I shall."
"You won't, neither of you, go down while I'm here," said Mr Solomon
stoutly.
"What right have you to interfere?" cried Courtenay: "Same right as any man has to interfere when he sees a young goose going
to throw away his life."
"Oh rubbish!" said Courtenay. "Just as if I couldn't go down a ladder.
Here, stand aside."
Mr Solomon did not stand aside, and he looked so very sturdy and firm
that Courtenay gave up and drew back with his brother, whispering and
waiting his opportunity.