"Who is it?" I ses. "Who are you?" "Halloa, Bill!" it ses. "Ain't it
perishing cold?"

It was the voice o' Cap'n Fogg, and if ever I wanted to kill a fellow-
creetur, I wanted to then.

"'Ave you been in long, Bill?" he ses. "About ten minutes," I ses,
grinding my teeth.

"Is it doing you good?" he ses.

I didn't answer 'im.

"I was just going off to sleep," he ses, "when I felt a sort of hot pain
in my left knee. O' course, I knew what it meant at once, and instead o'
taking some of the pellets I thought I'd try your remedy instead. It's a
bit nippy, but I don't mind that if it does me good."

He laughed a silly sort o' laugh, and then I'm blest if 'e didn't sit
down in that mud and waller in it. Then he'd get up and come for'ard two
or three steps and sit down agin.

"Ain't you sitting down, Bill?" he ses, arter a time.

"No," I ses, "I'm not."

"I don't think you can expect to get the full benefit unless you do," he
ses, coming up close to me and sitting down agin. "It's a bit of a shock
at fust, but Halloa!"