"Made you tell?" sneered Dick. "When you had sixpence of me to hold your tongue! I'd have had mine cut out before I'd have been guilty of such a dirty trick."
"You'd 'a' had your'n cut out afore you'd 'a' been guilty of such a dirty trick as to suck an egg what you got another boy to steal for you!" retorted Bill, stammering and spluttering in his warmth. "It's 'receiving stolen goods.' The Squire said so; and you're to be had up for it."
Dick only answered by a mocking guffaw.
"Now, then," said Bill, "are you going to let me by?"
"Look out for old mother goose behind there," jeered Dick.
"Let me by!" reiterated Bill. "I'm in a hurry."
"Washerwoman!" jeered Dick. "Sixpence a pocketful."
Bill was getting exasperated. Moreover, he saw only one way out of it. "Now, then," threatened he suddenly, gathering up all his pluck, "do you mean to give in?"
Dick answered by striding across the bank, a foot each side and both arms akimbo, and burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. But Bill cut him short.
"You'd better look out then," shouted he, squaring up.