"GINGER" shook 'is red 'ead and said nothink. Says TOMMY, "Old 'BARNEY THE BUNCH' was the sulkiest sort, 'E 'adn't no heart for a pal in distress, and 'e never liked 'parting' for friendship _or_ sport. But what 'e most shirked was all haccident cases. Well, Cabbies don't cotton to _them_, as a rule, But 'BARNEY THE BUNCH' was a bit _extry_-brutal; a reg'lar old flint-hearted, foxy-eyed fool. "Bunched up on 'is box all alone one cold evening, when not a four-wheeler, 'cept 'is, was in sight, Old BARNEY was 'ailed by a poor shrieking creetur as 'eld a small girl in 'er arms, taller-white, With a small crimson cut on 'er poor little temple, arf hid by 'er goldian ringlets shook loose: 'The orspital--quick--for 'ev'n's sake!' pants the mother; 'Oh! don't lose a hinstant.' Lor, 'twasn't no use! "BARNEY whips up 'is 'orse, and trots off, most deliberate, grunting as 'ow that 'is cab worn't a 'earse. Most superstitious old griffin the 'BUNCH' wos. Well there, the child died. But if ever a curse 'Ung over a cabby _and_ cab it wos 'isn. Oh yes, you may grin o'er your corfee and toast In this 'ere cosy shelter. But strange fares, at night-time, do not like to ride number two--with a ghost! "All fancy? Then wy did _all_ talk of a kiddy with goldian curls, and of wild-woman cries? And wy did fares pull BARNEY up on the suddent, and scuttle with shuddersome looks and skeart eyes? And wy did old 'BARNEY THE BUNCH' take to boozing, and wy wos 'e found stony-stark _in_ 'is cab With eyes fixed on--nothink? Yus, _nothink_, of course! 'TOMMY THUMPER''s a fool to you young 'uns to blab." Shut up like a rat-trap, and trotted off twist-ways, the "THUMPER" did, huffed in 'is boozy old style. A ghost-seer's dignitude does stand on end if 'e twigs that 'is cackle is met with a smile. But _I_ didn't grin--not contemphuously, leastways; I've seen fur too much to be big on the boast, And this I _do_ know, that your 'ard-'earted hunks will one day git 'is gruel--if not from a ghost. Conscience, I tell you, can build spooks like Guy Foxes, or as the jim-jams makes green rats or snakes. _Real?_ Wot's "real"? Who's goin' to be cocksure wot's actual facks and wot's fancy's queer fakes? Only your ignerant, stuck-uppish shaller-pate. I never shirk no true orspital case; And if any ghost _should_ make free with my Forder--I 'ope I could look the spook fair in the face.