"Why, sir, d'ye see, we're terrible short of grub."
"Well?"
"Pretty near starved."
"Well?"
"Only scraps for the last three days."
"Yes?"
Here he paused, finding little encouragement in my monosyllables, and though he was usually glib enough, it was not easy, I dare say, to be eloquent when he had to shout so that his voice would reach to us so far above him. But he now assumed a most solemn and lugubrious expression of countenance, and cried—
"Dying fast!"
"What of that?"
"Can you do summat for us?"