Page 155 (1/2)

"Yours is a very unpleasant profession," said I

"A et hit?"

"Thear!"

"Doesn't it hurt you?"

"Oh! you gets used to it--though, to be sure, they don't 'it ars is expensive--leastways

they costs money"

"But surely a wooden ie!" exclaiustedly "James!--you

e

--you can't 'urt a wooden ie that there wooden ie wouldn't flinch,

would it? When a'e likes to 'it it

--that's 'uman--and when 'e 'its it 'e likes to see it flinch

--that's 'uman too, and when it flinches, why--'e rubs 'is 'ands,

and takes another shot--and that's the 'u cove, you're a fool with your wooden iht hold of

his wrist--and then I saw that he held e hand with bony knuckles, and very long fingers, upon

one of which was a battered ring He atte this useless, stood

glowering atwith the other

"Ha!" said I

"Hallo!" said he

"A purse!" said I

"Why, so it is," he nodded; leastways, it looks uncommonly like

one, don't it?"

"What's more, it looks like mine!"

"Does it?"

"I could swear to it anywhere"

"Could you?"

"I could"

"Then p'r'aps you'd better take it, young cove, and very welco my pocket!" said I

"Never picked a pocket in my life--should scorn to"