'You maraudin' hathen! 'Tis the only cutty I iver loved. Handle her
tinder, or I'll chuck _you_ acrost the nullah. If that poipe was
bruk--Ah! Give her back to me, Sorr!'

Ortheris had passed the treasure to my hand. It was an absolutely
perfect clay, as shiny as the black ball at Pool. I took it reverently,
but I was firm.

'Will you tell us about the ghost-fight if I do?' I said.

'Is ut the shtory that's troublin' you? Av course I will. I mint to
all along. I was only gettin' at ut my own way, as Popp Doggle said
whin they found him thrying to ram a cartridge down the muzzle.
Orth'ris, fall away!'

He released the little Londoner, took back his pipe, filled it, and
his eyes twinkled. He has the most eloquent eyes of any one that I
know.

'Did I iver tell you,' he began, 'that I was wanst the divil av a man?'

'You did,' said Learoyd with a childish gravity that made Ortheris
yell with laughter, for Mulvaney was always impressing upon us his
great merits in the old days.

'Did I iver tell you,' Mulvaney continued calmly, 'that I was
wanst more av a divil than I am now?'

'Mer--ria! You don't mean it?' said Ortheris.