“All right, Tommy, only don’t be so precious proud of it,” said the leader. “I says we ought to have come on this trip by daylight.”
“As I says afore, that’s what I did say,” growled Tom Tully again; but this time his superior officer refused to hear him, and continued:
“As we didn’t come by daylight, my lads, we ought to have had lanterns.”
“Ay, ay,” said one of the men.
“So I think,” said the gunner; “we’d best go back and get the lanterns, so as to have a good search, or else come back and do the job by daylight.”
“Ay, ay,” was chorussed by three of the party.
“Yes, it’s all very well to say ‘Ay, ay,’ and talk about lanterns and daylight,” growled Tom Tully; “but I don’t like going off and leaving one’s work half done. I want to have a go at that chap as fetched me a crack with a handspike, and I shan’t feel happy till I have; so now then, my lads.”
“What’s the good o’ being obst’nit, Tommy?” said his leader. “No one wants to stop you from giving it to him as hit you, only just tell me where he is.”
“That ar’n’t my job, Billy Waters,” cried the big fellow; “that’s your job. You leads, and I does the fighting. Show him to me and I’ll make him that sore as he shall wish he’d stopped at home.”
“Come on, then, and let’s get the lanterns, and come back then,” said the gunner. “It ar’n’t no use to be knocking ourselves about here in the dark. Come on.”