"You had better begin," he said. "I'll try to get help."
"Mayhappen folks will come for you, though they wadn't for t' maister," one replied. "We'll need aw you can get before lang."
Kit set off as fast as he could walk and, stopping for a minute at Ashness, sent his men. Then he went on to Allerby and at first found the farmers unwilling to move, but after some argument they went with him to the mill.
"We'll hear what miller has to say," one remarked. "He kens maist aboot the job, sin' he had t' mend t' lade when Hayes refused. For aw that, mending dyke is landlord's business."
"I'll not stir a hand to save Osborn's crops," the miller declared when he met them at the door. "His oad rogue o' an agent promised me he'd build up brocken lade, but when time came I had to do't mysel'."
Two of the others grumbled about promises Hayes had not kept, and then
Kit said, "All this is not important. I don't ask you to mend the dyke
for Osborn's sake but yours. If the beck breaks through and runs down to
Allerby, it will spoil all the hay and fill the mill-lead with rubbish."
"Then we'll get compensation. Landlord's bound to keep dyke in order."
Kit smiled. "You'll get nothing, unless you go to law and I don't know if you'll get much then. Hayes is clever and the dispute would be expensive. You'll certainly find it cheaper to mend the dyke."
They pondered this, until the miller made a sign of agreement.
"I'll not can say you're wrang. I'm coming with my two men."