neck and dried them with something resembling a towel, he hooked up
the pail, stowed the basin in a rack, unslung a nosebag, which he
attached to the head of the old horse, and went indoors to prepare
his own elementary breakfast. That over, he put the horse into the
shafts. Barney Bill was a man of his word. He was not going to wait
for Paul; but lie cast a glance round the limited horizon of the
brickfield, hoping, against reason, to see the little slim figure
emerge from some opening and run toward him.

"Darn the boy!" said Barney Bill, taking off his cap and scratching
his wet head.

A low moan broke the dead silence of the Sunday dawn. He started and
looked about him. He listened. There was another. The moans were
those of a sleeper. He bent down and looked under the van. There Jay
Paul, huddled up, fast asleep on the bare ground.

"Well, I'm jiggered! I'm just jiggered. Here, you--hello!" cried
Barney Bill.

Paul awakened suddenly, half sat up, grinned, grabbed at something
on the ground beside him and wriggled out between the wheels.

"How long you been there?"

"About two hours," said Paul.

"Why didn't yer wake me?"

"I didn't like to disturb thee," said Paul.