“Ginger was the last one to wake up in the morning, an’ before ’e woke he kept making a moaning noise. His ’ead felt as though it was going to bust, ’is tongue felt like a brick, and ’is chest was so sore ’e could ’ardly breathe. Then at last ’e opened ’is eyes and looked up and saw Sam an’ Peter and a little man with a black moustache. “‘Cheer up, Ginger,’ ses Sam, in a kind voice, ‘it’s going on beautiful.’ “‘My ’ead’s splittin’,’ ses Ginger, with a groan, ‘an’ I’ve got pins an’ needles all over my chest.’ “‘Needles,’ ses the man with the black moustache. ‘I never use pins; they’d pison the flesh.’ “Ginger sat up in bed and stared at ’im; then ’e bent ’is ’ead down and squinted at ’is chest, and next moment ’e was out of bed and all three of ’em was holding ’im down on the floor to prevent ’im breaking the tattooer’s neck which ’e’d set ’is ’eart upon doing, and explaining to ’im that the tattooer was at the top of ’is profession, and that it was only by a stroke of luck ’e had got ’im. And Sam reminded ’im of wot ’e ’ad said the night before, and said he’d live to thank ’im for it. “‘’Ow much is there done?’ ses Ginger, at last, in a desprit voice. “Sam told ’im, and Ginger lay still and called the tattooer all the names he could think of; which took ’im some time. “‘It’s no good going on like that, Ginger,’ ses Sam. ‘Your chest is quite spiled at present, but if you on’y let ’im finish it’ll be a perfeck picter.’ “I take pride in it,’ ses the tattooer; ‘working on your skin, mate, is like painting on a bit o’ silk.’ “Ginger gave in at last, and told the man to go on with the job and finish it, and ’e even went so far as to do a little bit o’ tattooing ’imself on Sam when he wasn’t looking. ’E only made one mark, becos the needle broke off, and Sam made such a fuss that Ginger said any one would ha’ thought ’e’d hurt ’im. “It took three days to do Ginger altogether, and he was that sore ’e could ’ardly move or breathe and all the time ’e was laying on ’is bed of pain Sam and Peter Russet was round at the Blue Lion enjoying theirselves and picking up information. The second day was the worst, owing to the tattooer being the worse for licker. Drink affects different people in different ways, and Ginger said the way it affected that chap was to make ’im think ’e was sewing buttons on instead o’ tattooing. “’Owever ’e was done at last; his chest and ’is arms and ’is shoulders, and he nearly broke down when Sam borrowed a bit o’ looking-glass and let ’im see hisself. Then the tattooer rubbed in some stuff to make ’is skin soft agin, and some more stuff to make the marks look a bit old.