Sailors' Knots (Entire Collection)Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
General
Sailors' Knots (Entire Collection)
Jacobs, W. W. (William Wymark)
England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Humorous stories, English
Ginger made a lot of objections, not because he didn't think it was a
good idea, but because he didn't like Peter thinking of it instead of
'im; but he gave way at last, and, arter he 'ad got the beard, he stood
for a long time in front o' the glass thinking wot a difference it would
ha' made to his looks if he had 'ad black 'air instead o' red.
Waiting for the evening made the day seem very long to 'em; but it came
at last, and, with the beards in their pockets, they slipped out and
went for a walk round. They 'ad 'arf a pint each at a public-'ouse at
the top of the Minories, just to steady themselves, and then they came
out and hooked on their beards; and wot with them, and pulling their
caps down and turning their coat-collars up, there wasn't much of their
faces to be seen by anybody.
It was just five minutes to nine when they got to Tower Hill, and they
walked down the middle of the road, keeping a bright lookout for old
Sam. A little way down they saw a couple o' chaps leaning up agin a
closed gate in the dock wall lighting their pipes, and Peter and Ginger
both nudged each other with their elbows at the same time. They 'ad just
got to the bottom of the Hill when Sam turned the corner.
Peter wouldn't believe at fust that the old man wasn't really the worse
for liquor, 'e was so lifelike. Many a drunken man would ha' been proud
to ha' done it 'arf so well, and it made 'im pleased to think that Sam
was a pal of 'is. Him and Ginger turned and crept up behind the old man
on tiptoe, and then all of a sudden he tilted Sam's cap over 'is eyes
and flung his arms round 'im, while Ginger felt in 'is coat-pockets and
took out a leather purse chock full o' money.
It was all done and over in a moment, and then, to Ginger's great
surprise, Sam suddenly lifted 'is foot and gave 'im a fearful kick on
the shin of 'is leg, and at the same time let drive with all his might
in 'is face. Ginger went down as if he 'ad been shot, and as Peter went
to 'elp him up he got a bang over the 'ead that put 'im alongside o'
Ginger, arter which Sam turned and trotted off down the Hill like a
dancing-bear.
'Let Drive With All his Might in 'is Face. '
For 'arf a minute Ginger didn't know where 'e was, and afore he found
out the two men they'd seen in the gateway came up, and one of 'em put
his knee in Ginger's back and 'eld him, while the other caught hold of
his 'and and dragged the purse out of it. Arter which they both made
off up the Hill as 'ard as they could go, while Peter Russet in a faint
voice called “Police!” arter them.
He got up presently and helped Ginger up, and they both stood there
pitying themselves, and 'elping each other to think of names to call
Sam.
“Well, the money's gorn, and it's 'is own silly fault,” ses Ginger. “But
wotever 'appens, he mustn't know that we had a 'and in it, mind that.”
“He can starve for all I care,” ses Peter, feeling his 'ead. “I won't
lend 'im a ha'penny—not a single, blessed ha'penny.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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