I was thinking of the canary I rescued
yesterday.
May I inquire the basis of these hopes for
fun?
It would be the end of your existence if you were
playing at the campwith the boys.
Straddled between the two houses, I vainly strove
to dislodge it.
Who, but Stanley, would have thought of cooking
meals in thelaundry at two oclock in the morning? They wallowed round the bend
behind everything else thathad legs.
He flunghimself along like a thing gone
mad.
Here, damn you, hissed Stanley, seven
shillings.
Woggo Slatter stood aloof and not a pore of his
skin opened orshut. Besides, hes only a boy, really, isnt he? You, I think, are
treatedvery well in being allowed to keep the other half. No, he said in an almost
inaudible voice, its my throat.
Two shillings, I continued, and a concession
whichwill very likely prove valueless.
How can I get a good spin if you crowd in onme? He
was born in a horse-trough andcarried round in a nose-bag when he was a child. I
tried to count them but they movedabout too much. He had asmall piece of flat wood
in his hand, on which were balanced twopennies. Ihope, he added, glaring at the
doorway, that when he comes out, hecomes out on his ear! Had I been like that I
would have gazed pastthat clock to its old home-town in Switzerland. One hundred and
thirty-six pounds I collected, and sixty-eight forSteak.
Stanley, after a savageattempt to tear a brick
loose from the chimney, slid down the fartherside.
I missed him with the chopper,and it whirled past
him and clattered into the passage-way below.
A horde of race-book sellers detonated in our
faces.
Take your hats off, or your coats, or whatever it
is you want to takeoff. It would never occur toher that I needed money. It was then
that my rear foot became stuck.
I could lay you out in one hit if necessary,
therefore I ama majority.
He shifted his cigarette to the other side of his
mouth.
Ianticipated Stanleys intention and was almost on
him with the chopperwhen he leapt. We wouldnt take much holding down if you wanted
to force it on us,drawled Steak.
I like Stan, murmured Eggs, but I dont value his
friendship half asmuch as Jacks. Oh, well, in that case, I said, leaning back in my
corner, itcertainly must win. I do not wish togive the impression that I had lost my
temper.