"I wudn’t have doed it, lad; indade and indade I wudn’t, ony they forced
me to it; and you didn’t say nought agin them. It be all fair enough,
but it do hoort so tarble. That there trick was invented by a better
man nor I be, and it be karled ’Abraham Cann’s staylace.’ I’ll show e
how to do it, if ever us mates again. Now tak the belt, man, tak it--"
he leaped up, and tore it down, with very little respect, "I resigns it
over to you; zimth they arl wants you to have it and you be a better man
nor deserves it. And I’ll never wrastle no more; Jan Uxtable’s time be
over. Give us your hond, old chap. We two never mate again, unless you
comes down our wai, and us han’t got a man to bate e, now I be off the
play. There be dacent zider and bakkon to Tossil’s Barton Farm. Give us
your hond like a man, there be no ill will atween us, for this here
little skumdoover." Perhaps he meant skirmish and manoeuvre, all in
one. Sam Richardson, slowly recovering, put out his great hand, all
white and clammy, and John Huxtable took it tenderly, amid such
uproarious cheering, that I expected the tent on our heads. Even
Shelfer’s sharp eyes had a drop of moisture in them. As for Beany Dawe,
he flung to the winds all dithyrambic gravity, and chanted and danced
incoherently, Cassandra and Chorus in one; while Sally Huxtable blotted
all her rainbow in heavy drops.
Hundreds of pipes were smashed, even the Stoic Shelfer’s, in the rush to
get at the farmer; but he parted the crowd right and left, as I might
part willow-sprays, and came at once to me. Whether by his aid, or by
the sympathies of the multitude, I am sure I cannot tell, but I found
myself in a cab, with Sally at my side, and Mrs. Shelfer on the box, and
the farmer’s face at the window.
"Twenty minutes, Miss, I’ll be there, raddy to go where you plases. It
bain’t quite one o’clock yet. I must put myself dacent like, avore I
can go with you, Miss; and git the money for the sake of them poor
chiller, if so be they Lunnoners be honest enough to pai. Jan Uxtable
never come to Lunnon town no more."
With thousands of people hurraing, we set off full gallop for Albert
Street.
CHAPTER XI.
At the door we found Mrs. Fletcher just returned from Lady Cranberry’s,
and eager to say a great deal which could not now be listened to.
Having proved the speed of our horse, I begged the cabman to wait for a
quarter of an hour, and then take us to Paddington at any fare he
pleased, so long as he drove full gallop. This suited his views very
nicely, and knowing Mr. Shelfer, as every one in London does--so at
least I am forced to believe--he fain would have kept me ten minutes of
the fifteen, to tell of Charley’s knowingness, how he had kept it all
dark as could be, you see, Miss, and had won three hundred and
twenty-five pounds, without reckoning the odd money, Miss--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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