“Coffee—ham—I hardly know, Jem.”
“Ho! Thought p’r’aps it had been cayenne pepper.”
“Nonsense!”
“Ah, you may say that, but see how he is going it. ’Tarn’t my fault that the dock men work so badly, and ’tarn’t my fault that Mike isn’t here, and—”
“Don’t stand talking to Wimble, Lindon,” said a voice sharply, and Uncle Josiah came up to the pair. “No, don’t go away, Wimble. Did Bannock say he should stay away to-day?”
“Not to me, uncle.”
“Nor to me, sir.”
“It’s very strange, just as we are so busy too. He has not drawn any money.”
“P’r’aps press-gang’s got him, sir,” suggested Jem.
“Humph! Hardly likely!” said Uncle Josiah; and he went on and entered the office, to come out at the end of a few minutes and beckon to Don.