"Only so's we can feel your face, so's to know what you look like."
He stood impatient and embarrassed while they pawed his face with hard,
grimy hands.
At last they let him go, he whose barrow was full accompanying him to
the end of the passageway, and speeding him on his way with this
comfortable remark:
"If you was to dive deep and feel around, you might find those as is
leaded to the bottom."
It took every ounce of nerve that Bubbles had at command to let his legs
and body slip down into the cold and tragic current. It seemed certain
that dead hands were reaching for him. But he screwed his courage up to
the sticking point, and called to his acquaintance in the passage-mouth
a whispered but nonchalant, "S'long!"