“‘Pray excuse me for asking if you have any papers [passport] with you?’ “‘No, we haven’t.’ “‘Nor have we either. I have two comrades besides these with me who are in the service of General Cuckoo [forest tramps, _i.e._, who hear the birds sing]. We have been seeing life a bit, and just now haven’t a penny to bless ourselves with. May I take the liberty of requesting you to be so obliging as to order a quart of brandy?’ “‘With the greatest pleasure,’ that’s what we say to him. So we drink together. Then they tell us of a place where there’s a real good stroke of business to be done--a house at the end of the town belonging to a wealthy merchant fellow; lots of good things there, so we make up our minds to try the job during the night; five of us, and the very moment we are going at it they pounce on us, take us to the station-house, and then before the head of the police. He says, ‘I shall examine them myself.’ Out he goes with his pipe, and they bring in for him a cup of tea; a sturdy fellow it was, with whiskers. Besides us five, there were three other tramps, just brought in. You know, comrades, that there’s nothing in this world more funny than a tramp, because he always forgets everything he’s done. You may thump his head till you’re tired with a cudgel; all the same, you’ll get but one answer, that he has forgotten all about everything. “The police superintendent then turns to me and asks me squarely, “‘Who may you be?’ “I answer just like all the rest of them: “‘I’ve forgotten all about it, your worship.’ “‘Just you wait; I’ve a word or two more to say to you. I know your phiz.’ “Then he gives me a good long stare. But I hadn’t seen him anywhere before, that’s a fact. “Then he asks another of them, ‘Who are you?’ “‘Mizzle-and-scud, your worship.’ “‘They call you Mizzle-and-scud?’ “‘Precisely that, your worship.’ “‘Well and good, you’re Mizzle-and-scud! And you?’ to a third. “‘Along-of-him, your worship.’ “‘But what’s your name--your name?’ “‘Me? I’m called Along-of-him, your worship.’ “‘Who gave you that name, hound?’ “‘Very worthy people, your worship. There are lots of worthy people about; nobody knows that better than your worship.’ “‘And who may these “worthy people” be?’ “‘Oh, Lord, it has slipped my memory, your worship. Do be so kind and gracious as to overlook it.’ “‘So you’ve forgotten them, all of them, these “worthy people”?’ “‘Every mother’s son of them, your worship.’ “‘But you must have had relations--a father, a mother. Do you remember them?’ “‘I suppose I must have had, your worship; but I’ve forgotten about ’em, my memory is so bad. Now I come to think about it, I’m sure I had some, your worship.’ “‘But where have you been living till now?’ “‘In the woods, your worship.’ “‘Always in the woods?’ “‘Always in the woods!’ “‘Winter too?’ “‘Never saw any winter, your worship.’ “‘Get along with you! And you--what’s your name?’ “‘Hatchets-and-axes, your worship.’ “‘And yours?’