Now this made me a bit warm, for I was hurt, and I didnt mean to let him go at no price now. So, jest as hed shook me off and was going to bolt, I gets hold of his leg as I lays on the ground, when he gives me the savagest kick right aside o the head, and nobody didnt cry shame then.
Well, I wasnt stunned, but I felt precious giddy. I jumps up, though, and lays hold of him sticks to him, too, and sometimes we was down and sometimes up, and I know we rolled over in the mud half a dozen times.
Last of all, in one of the struggles in all of which the crowd hindered me as much as it could, my chap goes down, spang, with his head on the pavement, and me atop of him, and there he lay stunned.
Shame, shame! cries the crowd, youve killed the poor fellow. And then they begins a shovin and a hustlin of me about, and I dont know how it would have ended if one of our chaps hadnt ha come up; and then Dick came back after gettin rid o the barrer. Then we had the stretcher fetched, and the end of it was Horinges got seven days for assaultin the police, and I got seven days, too only mine was in the infirmary.
You wouldnt have ketched me tossin if Id known.
You see, people will be so precious fond o takin what they calls the weak side. They never stops to ask themselves whether its right or whether its wrong; but they goes at it like a bull at a gate, and its us as suffers. Manys the chap as has got away when the pleece has jest nicely put a finger on him. In comes Public. Let that poor chap alone, says he, what are you draggin him off in chains like that for? And so on to that tune till every one begins to feel for the chap, who puts on a cantin phisog, and turns his eyes about like them coves as chalks on the pavement for a livin. Perhaps hes a burglar, or a smasher, or swell-mobsman, or a nice tender-hearted critter as has been beatin his wife with a poker, or knocked her head agin the wall, or some nice trick o that kind. And then everybody takes part agin the police, and what can they do?
Their dooty, says you.
Well, in course, but it dont come werry pleasant, mind yer.
People dont side with us; they dont like us a bit. And of course youll say we dont like the people. Well, well drop that part of the business. Its only natural for us to like a good murder, or burglary, or forgery. You swells likes your huntin, and fishin and shootin; and we enjoys our sport as much as you does your little games. Theres a sorter relish about taking a fellow for anything exciting just when my gentleman fancies hes got clean off hopped his twig, as he thinks; when in we goes at my gaol-bird, and pops salt on his tail. Bless yer, we claps the darbies on his wrists, and has him walked off before he knows whats up. Hes like a orspital patient; we chloroforms him with the bracelets, and before he comes to hisself weve cut off his liberty, and he wakes up in a cell.
Yer see, sir, said my friend, rising, yer see, weve a knack o doin it. Spose, now, its you as is wanted. Ive held you in play, say for half an hour, to make sure as youre the man as I wants, for Ive got yer phortygruff pinned in my hat; and at last I walks up to yer just so, and Youre my prisner, says I. Whereupon you ups with yer hands just so, thats the way and tries to shove me off, when
Click, Click
There I has yer snug with your bracelets on; and werry proud I feels of yer.
And in effect my visitor had carried out his illustration to the fullest extent, so that I sat before him handcuffed, and he resumed his seat smiling with triumph and LL. I suggested the removal of my bonds; but my captor, as he seemed to consider himself, merely smiled again, helped himself to a cigar, lighted it, and began to smoke.
This was as bad as being a Lambeth casual. Anybody, even Mrs Scribe might come in, and the thought was more powerful than any sudorific in the pharmacopoeia. It was no use to appeal to K9, for he seemed to consider Brag was a good dog, but Holdfast a better; and he did nothing but smile and smoke. Getting an idea for an article was all very well, but at what a cost! It would not do at all. Why the special correspondent
of the PMG would not have rested upon his hay-bag if a committee to whom he was well-known had entered the place to inspect him. He would have fled without his bundle. Ay, and so would I, but there was some one coming up the stairs, and I should have run right into some ones arms. A last appeal to the fellow before me only produced another smile; so, as a dernier ressort , I drew my chair towards the table, and thrust my manacled hands out of sight.
I was just in time, for the handle turned, and in walked an artist friend, who always makes a point of considering himself as much at home in my room as I do myself in his.
How are you, old boy? said he, which was hardly the thing, considering the company I was in.
I muttered something about being very well, and Chrayonne seated himself by the fire.
Pass the cigar-box, old fellow, said he. But I couldnt hear him, and tried to appear as if sitting at my ease of course, a very simple thing with ones hands pinioned.