'That's right, mate,' he answered. 'An we're goin' ter ride a't ter work in style. This 'ere is known as the Basket.'
'Why the Basket?' I asked.
'Lumme,' he said. 'You wouldn't need ter ask that question if you'd worked as long as Slim and me 'as ter get the thing workin'. A bleedin' year we bin cuttin' them ledges. An' you'd better go careful when you blast yer way up to the sea bed. 'Cos if this 'ere contraption don't work when the Mermaid's been flooded me an' Slim'll 'ave a word ter say ter you. Won't we, Slim?'
'You know my view,' Slim's voice answered.
'Bleedin' pessimist, you are,' Friar said. 'Fifty quid's the bet. An' don't you forget it.' He turned to me. 'Me an' Slim's got a bet of fifty quid on the Basket. 'E says the Capting's scheme won't work when the sea's in the Mermaid. I says it will. The Capting's no fool, Slim. You don't know 'im as well as I do 'E's an engineer, an' don't yer forget it.'
'Even engineers get hoist with their own petard.'
'Wot the 'ell are you talkin' aba't? Wot's a petard?'
'A mine,' Slim answered with a sardonic laugh. 'Come on. he added, 'let's get the compressor loaded on to the Basket Levering with crowbars we manoeuvred the compressor on to the platform of the carriage. 'Better check that we got every fink on that you need,' Friar suggested. I flashed my lamp over the platform. There was a pneumatic drill, steel drills, air pipe, drill-holder, picks and shovels.
'What about charges?' I asked.
'The Capting 'as 'em,' was the reply.