bundle."

The man finished tying up the gash, and the boy said, "I think I'll go
home now, master."

"You are rather afraid of me. Do you know what I be?"

The child surveyed his vermilion figure up and down with much misgiving
and finally said, "Yes."

"Well, what?"

"The reddleman!" he faltered.

"Yes, that's what I be. Though there's more than one. You little
children think there's only one cuckoo, one fox, one giant, one devil,
and one reddleman, when there's lots of us all."

"Is there? You won't carry me off in your bags, will ye, master? 'Tis
said that the reddleman will sometimes."

"Nonsense. All that reddlemen do is sell reddle. You see all these bags
at the back of my cart? They are not full of little boys--only full of
red stuff."

"Was you born a reddleman?"

"No, I took to it. I should be as white as you if I were to give up the
trade--that is, I should be white in time--perhaps six months; not at
first, because 'tis grow'd into my skin and won't wash out. Now, you'll