“But do you know who it was?” said the engineer.

“It warn’t him,” growled Bargle, smiling at Dick. “He wouldn’t come and hit a man when he’s asleep. Would you, mate?”

“I wouldn’t be such a coward,” cried Dick.

“Theer! Hear that, mester! I knowed he wouldn’t. He’d hev come up to me and hit me a doubler right in the chest fair and square, and said, ‘now, then, come on!’”

“Then someone did strike you when you were asleep, Bargle, eh?”

“Dunno, mester; I s’pose so. Looks like it, don’t it?”

“Yes, my man, very much so. Then you were woke out of your sleep by a blow, eh?”

“Weer I? I don’t know.”

“Tell me who have you had a quarrel with lately?”

“Quarrel?”