by W. W. Jacobs
interfering in mybusiness."
"Still, s'pose you didn't catch 'em," ses Sam, "where should I be?"
"You needn't be afraid o' that," ses the tec, with a laugh. "Here, I'lltell you wot I'll do, and that'll show you the trust I put in you."
He drew a big di'mond ring off of 'is finger and handed it to Sam.
"Put that on your finger," he ses, "and keep it there till I give youyour money back and the fi'-pun note reward. It's worth seventy quidif it's worth a farthing, and was given to me by a lady of title forgetting back 'er jewellery for 'er. Put it on, and wotever you do,don't lose it"
He sat and watched while Sam forced it on is finger.
"You don't need to flash it about too much," he ses, looking at 'imrather anxious. "There's men I know as 'ud cut your finger off to getthat."
Sam shoved his 'and in his pocket, but he kept taking it out every nowand then and 'olding his finger up to the light to look at the di'mond.Mr. Cubbins got up to go at last, saying that he 'ad got a call to makeat the police-station, and they went out together.
"Nine o'clock sharp," he ses, as they shook hands, "on Tower Hill."
"I'll be there," ses Sam.
"And, wotever you do, no noise, no calling out," ses the tec, "and don'tmention a word of this to a living soul."
Sam shook 'ands with 'im agin, and then, hiding his 'and in his pocket,went off 'ome, and, finding Ginger and Peter Russet wasn't back, went offto bed.
He 'eard 'em coming upstairs in the dark in about an hour's time, and,putting the 'and with the ring on it on the counterpane, shut 'is eyesand pretended to be fast asleep. Ginger lit the candle, and they wasboth beginning to undress when Peter made a noise and pointed to Sam's'and.
"Wot's up?" ses Ginger, taking the candle and going over to Sam's bed."Who've you been robbing, you fat pirate?"
Sam kept 'is eyes shut and 'eard 'em whispering; then he felt 'em take'is hand up and look at it. "Where did you get it, Sam?" ses Peter.
"He's asleep," ses Ginger, "sound asleep. I b'lieve if I was to put 'isfinger in the candle he wouldn't wake up."
"You try it," ses Sam, sitting up in bed very sharp and snatching his'and away. "Wot d'ye mean coming 'ome at all hours and waking me up?""Where did you get that ring?" ses Ginger. "Friend o' mine," ses Sam,very short.
"Who was it?" ses Peter.
"It's a secret," ses Sam.
"You wouldn't 'ave a secret from your old pal Ginger, Sam, would you?"ses Ginger.
"Old wot?" ses Sam. "Wot did you call me this arternoon?"
"I called you a lot o' things I'm sorry for," ses Ginger, who wasbursting with curiosity, "and I beg your pardin, Sam."
"Shake 'ands on it," ses Peter, who was nearly as curious as Ginger.
They shook hands, but Sam said he couldn't tell 'em about the ring; andseveral times Ginger was on the point of calling 'im the names he 'adcalled 'im in the arternoon, on'y Peter trod on 'is foot and stopped him.They wouldn't let 'im go to sleep for talking, and at last, when 'e waspretty near tired out, he told 'em all about it.
"Going--to 'ave your--pocket picked?" ses Ginger, staring at 'im, when'e had finished.
"I shall be watched over," ses Sam.
"He's gorn stark, staring mad," ses Ginger. "Wot a good job it is he'sgot me and you to look arter 'im, Peter."
"Wot d'ye mean?" ses Sam.
"_Mean?_" ses Ginger. "Why, it's a put-up job to rob you, o' course. Ishould ha' thought even your fat 'ead could ha' seen that':"
"When I want your advice I'll ask you for it," ses Sam, losing 'istemper. "Wot about the di'mond ring--eh?"
"You stick to it," ses Ginger, "and keep out o' Mr. Cubbins's way.That's my advice to you. 'Sides, p'r'aps it ain't a real one."
Sam told 'im agin he didn't want none of 'is advice, and, as Gingerwouldn't leave off talking, he pretended to go to sleep. Ginger woke 'imup three times to tell 'im wot a fool 'e was, but 'e got so fierce thathe gave it up at last and told 'im to go 'is own way.
Sam wouldn't speak to either of 'em next morning, and arter breakfast hewent off on 'is own. He came back while Peter and Ginger was out, andthey wasted best part o' the day trying to find 'im.
"We'll be on Tower Hill just afore nine and keep 'im out o' mischief, anyway," ses Peter.
Ginger nodded. "And be called names for our pains," he ses. "I've agood mind to let 'im be robbed."
"It 'ud serve 'im right," ses Peter, "on'y then he'd want to borrer offof us. Look here! Why not--why not rob 'im ourselves?"
"Wot?" ses Ginger, starting.
"Walk up behind 'im and rob 'im," ses Peter. "He'll think it's them twochaps he spoke about, and when 'e comes 'ome complaining to us we'll tell'im it serves 'im right. Arter we've 'ad a game with 'im for a day ortwo we'll give 'im 'is money back."
"But he'd reckernize us," ses Ginger.
"We must disguise ourselves," ses Peter, in a whisper. "There's abarber's shop in Cable Street, where I've seen beards in the winder. Youhook 'em on over your ears. Get one o' them each, pull our caps over oureyes and turn our collars up, and there you are."
Ginger made a lot of objections, not because he didn't think it was agood 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 stoodfor a long time in front o' the glass thinking wot a difference it wouldha' 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 cameat last, and, with the beards in their pockets, they slipped out and wentfor a walk round. They 'ad 'arf a pint each at a public-'ouse at the topof the Minories, just to steady themselves, and then they came out andhooked on their beards; and wot with them, and pulling their caps downand turning their coat-collars up, there wasn't much of their faces to beseen by anybody.
It was just five minutes to nine when they got to Tower Hill, and theywalked 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 closedgate in the dock wall lighting their pipes, and Peter and Ginger bothnudged each other with their elbows at the same time. They 'ad just gotto the bottom of the Hill when Sam turned the corner.
Peter wouldn't believe at fust that the old man wasn't really the worsefor liquor, 'e was so lifelike. Many a drunken man would ha' been proudto ha' done it 'arf so well, and it made 'im pleased to think that Samwas a pal of 'is. Him and Ginger turned and crept up behind the old manon tiptoe, and then all of a sudden he tilted Sam's cap over 'is eyes andflung his arms round 'im, while Ginger felt in 'is coat-pockets and tookout a leather purse chock full o' money.
It was all done and over in a moment, and then, to Ginger's greatsurprise, Sam suddenly lifted 'is foot and gave 'im a fearful kick on theshin of 'is leg, and at the same time let drive with all his might in 'isface. Ginger went down as if he 'ad been shot, and as Peter went to 'elphim up he got a bang over the 'cad 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 outthe two men they'd seen in the gateway came up, and one of 'em put hisknee 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 upthe Hill as 'ard as they could go, while Peter Russet in a faint voicecalled "Police!" arter them.
He got up presently and helped Ginger up, and they both stood therepitying 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. "Butwotever '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'tlend 'im a ha'penny--not a single, blessed ha'penny."
"Who'd ha' thought 'e could ha' hit like that?" says Ginger. "That's wotgets over me. I never 'ad such a bang in my
life--never. I'm going to'ave a little drop o' brandy--my 'ead is fair swimming."
Peter 'ad one, too; but though they went into the private bar, it wasn'tprivate enough for them; and when the landlady asked Ginger who'd beenkissing 'im, he put 'is glass down with a bang and walked straight off'ome.
Sam 'adn't turned up by the time they got there, and pore Ginger tookadvantage of it to put a little warm candle-grease on 'is bad leg. Thenhe bathed 'is face very careful and 'elped Peter bathe his 'ead. They'ad just finished when they heard Sam coming upstairs, and Ginger satdown on 'is bed and began to whistle, while Peter took up a bit o'newspaper and stood by the candle reading it.
"Lor' lumme, Ginger!" ses Sam, staring at 'im. "What ha' you beena-doing to your face?"
"Me?" ses Ginger, careless-like. "Oh, we 'ad a bit of a scrap downLimehouse way with some Scotchies. Peter got a crack over the 'ead atthe same time."
"Ah, I've 'ad a bit of a scrap, too," ses Sam, smiling all over, "but Ididn't get marked."
"Oh!" ses Peter, without looking up from 'is paper. "Was it a littleboy, then?" ses Ginger.
"No, it wasn't a little boy neither, Ginger," ses Sam; "it was a coupleo' men twice the size of you and Peter here, and I licked 'em both. Itwas the two men I spoke to you about last night."
"Oh!" ses Peter agin, yawning.
"I did a bit o' thinking this morning," ses Sam, nodding at 'em, "and Idon't mind owning up that it was owing to wot you said. You was right,Ginger, arter all."
"Fust thing I did arter breakfast," ses Sam, "I took that di'mond ring toa pawnshop and found out it wasn't a di'mond ring. Then I did a bit morethinking, and I went round to a shop I know and bought a couple o'knuckle-dusters."
"Couple o' wot?" ses Ginger, in a choking voice.
"Knuckle-dusters," ses Sam, "and I turned up to-night at Tower Hill withone on each 'and just as the clock was striking nine. I see 'em themoment I turned the corner--two enormous big chaps, a yard acrost theshoulders, coming down the middle of the road--You've got a cold,Ginger!"
"No, I ain't," ses Ginger.
"I pretended to be drunk, same as the tec told me," ses Sam, "and then Ifelt 'em turn round and creep up behind me. One of 'em come up behindand put 'is knee in my back and caught me by the throat, and the othergave me a punch in the chest, and while I was gasping for breath took mypurse away. Then I started on 'em."
"Lor'!" ses Ginger, very nasty.
"I fought like a lion," ses Sam. "Twice they 'ad me down, and twice Igot up agin and hammered 'em. They both of 'em 'ad knives, but my bloodwas up, and I didn't take no more notice of 'em than if they was made ofpaper. I knocked 'em both out o' their hands, and if I hit 'em in theface once I did a dozen times. I surprised myself."
"You surprise me," ses Ginger.
"All of a sudden," ses Sam, "they see they 'ad got to do with a man wotdidn't know wot fear was, and they turned round and ran off as hard asthey could run. You ought to ha' been there, Ginger. You'd 'ave enjoyedit."
Ginger Dick didn't answer 'im. Having to sit still and listen to allthem lies without being able to say anything nearly choked 'im. He satthere gasping for breath.
"O' course, you got your purse back in the fight, Sam?" ses Peter.
"No, mate," ses Sam. "I ain't going to tell you no lies--I did not."
"And 'ow are you going to live, then, till you get a ship, Sam?" sesGinger, in a nasty voice. "You won't get nothing out o' me, so youneedn't think it."
"Wot on earth's the matter, Ginger?"
"Nor me," ses Peter. "Not a brass farthing."
"There's no call to be nasty about it, mates," ses Sam. "I 'ad the bestfight I ever 'ad in my life, and I must put up with the loss. A mancan't 'ave it all his own way."
"'Ow much was it?" ses Peter.
"Ten brace-buttons, three French ha'pennies, and a bit o' tin," ses Sam."Wot on earth's the matter, Ginger?"
"'Wot on earth's the matter, Ginger?'"]
Ginger didn't answer him.