The little circle of gipsy men fell back and opened out for him to go his way.
"What's the matter with that man?" he asked, pointing to Sam.
"Broke his leg," a gipsy man answered.
"What saved him?"
"The trees—he fell on the fir trees."
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out all the money he had, about seven shillings. "Here, get the girl whatever you can. Shall I send a doctor?
"Doctor?" the woman repeated in scorn, "no!"
"Alright," he said, and made his way unmolested past the silent, fierce-eyed men.
He went back to the little works and fired up the boilers and got steam ready for the day man to start the engine when he came in.
That night he went down about ten o'clock and crossed over to the gipsies. The whole camp was gathered in a circle round the embers of a fire.