charge of 'em they'll be all right. If you don't, I'm pretty certain I
sha'n't 'ave one of 'em in a week or two's time."

At fust I said I wouldn't 'ave anything to do with it, but he begged so
'ard that I began to alter my mind.

"You're as honest as daylight, Bill," he ses, very earnest. "I don't
know another man in the world I could trust with twenty-five quid--
especially myself. Now, put it in your pocket and look arter it for me.
One of the quids in it is for you, for your trouble."

He slipped the box in my coat-pocket, and then he said 'is mind was so
relieved that 'e felt like 'arf a pint. I was for going to the Bear's
Head, the place I generally go to, because it is next door to the wharf,
so to speak, but George wanted me to try the beer at another place he
knew of.

"The wharf's all right," he ses. "There's one or two 'ands on the ship,
and they won't let anybody run away with it."

From wot he said I thought the pub was quite close, but instead o' that I
should think we walked pretty nearly a mile afore we got there. Nice
snug place it was, and the beer was all right, although, as I told George
Tebb, it didn't seem to me any better than the stuff at the Bear's Head.

He stood me two 'arf-pints and was just going to order another, when 'e
found 'e 'adn't got any money left, and he wouldn't hear of me paying for
it, because 'e said it was his treat.

"We'll 'ave a quid out o' the box," he ses. "I must 'ave one to go on
with, anyway." I shook my 'ead at 'im.

"Only one," he ses, "and that'll last me a fortnight. Besides, I want to
give you the quid I promised you."

I gave way at last, and he put his 'and in 'is trouser-pocket for the
key, and then found it wasn't there.

"I must ha' left it in my chest," he ses. "I'll 'op back and get it."
And afore I could prevent 'im he 'ad waved his 'and at me and gorn.

My fust idea was to go arter 'im, but I knew I couldn't catch 'im, and if
I tried to meet 'im coming back I should most likely miss 'im through

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.

William Wymark Jacobs (September 8, 1863 September 1, 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. He is now best remembered for his macabre tales The Monkeys Paw (published 1902) and The Toll House (in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge). However the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896.