“My love to Ailsa if you see her, and tell her all goes well with me, like a good friend!” whispered Cleek, softly.

Mr. Narkom nodded, waved his hand, and then the two navvies swung away from the train, gave up their tickets to the porter—­having procured third-class as well as first for just this very arrangement—­and after enquiring just how far it was to Saltfleet Bay, and learning that it was a matter of “two mile and a ‘arf by road, and a couple o’ mile by the fields,” strode off through the little gate and on to the highroad.  Just how adventurous their quest was going to turn out to be even they did not fully realize.

They reached the outskirts of the bay, just as a clock in the church tower half a mile away struck out nine, in deep-throated, sonorous tones.

To the right of them the “Pig and Whistle” flaunted its lights and its noise, its hilarious laughter and its coarse-thrown jests.  Cleek sighed as he turned toward it.

“Now for it, boy,” he said softly, and then started to whistle and to laugh alternately, making his way across the cobbles to the brightly-lit little pub.  Someone ran to the doorway and peered out at sound of his voice, trying to penetrate the darkness and discover who the stranger might be thus gaily employed.

Cleek sang out a greeting.

“Good evenin’ to yer, matey!  This ’ers’s Bill Jones and ’is pal.  ’Ow, I’ll tyke the ’ighroad, and you’ll tyke the laow road! and I’ll be in Scotland afore yer’....  ‘Ere, Sammie, me lad, come along o’ me an’ warm yer witals.  I could drink the sea—­strite I could!”

He heard the man in the doorway laugh, and then he beckoned to him to come along.  And so they entered the “Pig and Whistle,” and were greeted enthusiastically by the red-headed barmaid, while many voices went up to greet them, showing that already they had got on the right side of the men who were to be their fellow-workers.

“Gen’leman ’ere yet?” queried Cleek, jerking his thumb in the direction where Borkins had stood the night before.  “I’ve what you calls an appointment wiv ’im, yer know.  And....  ’Ere the blighter is!  Good evenin’, sir.  Pleased ter see yer again, though lookin’ a bit pale abaht the gills, if yer don’t mind my sayin’ so.”

“And so would you be, if you’d been through the ordeal I ’ave this afternoon,” snapped out Borkins in reply.  “It’s a beastly job a-tellin’ people what yer seen and ’eard.  It is indeed!”

“’Arder ter tell ’em wot you ’aven’t seen an’ ’eard, all the syme, matey,” threw in Cleek.  “Done that meself, I ’as—­bit of sleight-o’-’and what they’d pulled me up for out Whitechapel way when I was a kid.  Seein’ the master ternight, ain’t we, sir?”

Borkins slopped down his tankard of beer and wiped his mouth before replying.

“Seen him already,” he answered with a touch of asperity, “and told ’im about you both, I ’ave.  ’E says you’re ter go up to the foreman termorrow, say I sent you.  Say the master ’as passed you, that’ll be all right.  Couple o’ quid a week, and the chance of a rise if you’re circumspect and keeps yer mouth closed.”