We must keep him employed here, or we may get a spill going home."
The object of his solicitude came and sat on a rock beside us, and looked on. Presently he came over, and said to Dick:—
"Yer 'an'r, can I help ye in yer wurrk? Sure, if ye only want wan hand to help ye, mayhap mine id do. An' thin his 'an'r here might hop up to the top iv the mountain; there's a mighty purty view there intirely, an' he could enjoy it, though ye can't get up wid yer lame fut."
"Good idea!" said Dick. "You go up on top, Art. This is very dull work, and Andy can hold the tape for me as well as you or anyone else. You can tell me all about it when you come down."
"Do, yer 'an'r. Tell him all ye see!" said Andy, as I prepared to ascend. "If ye go up soft be the shady parts, mayhap ye'd shtrike another bit of bog be the way."
I had grown so suspicious of Andy's double entente, that I looked at him keenly, to see if there was any fresh joke on; but his face was immovably grave, and he was seemingly intent on the steel tape which he was holding.
I proceeded up the mountain. It was a very pleasant one to climb, or rather to ascend, for it was nearly all covered with grass. Here and there, on the lower half, were clumps of stunted trees, all warped eastwards by the prevailing westerly wind—alders, mountain-ash, and thorn. Higher up these disappeared, but there was still a pleasant sprinkling of hedgerows. As the verdure grew on the
