Odd Craft | Page 5

or five times old Isaac woke
up from dreams of earthquakes to find Peter 'ad got jammed under 'is
bed, and was wondering what 'ad 'appened to 'im.
None of 'em was in the best o' tempers when they woke up next
morning, and Ginger 'ad 'ardly got 'is eyes open before Isaac was
asking 'im about 'is clothes agin.
"Don't bother me about your clothes," ses Ginger; "talk about
something else for a change."
"Where are they?" ses Isaac, sitting on the edge of 'is bed.
Ginger yawned and felt in 'is waistcoat pocket--for neither of 'em 'ad
undressed--and then 'e took the pawn-ticket out and threw it on the
floor. Isaac picked it up, and then 'e began to dance about the room as if
'e'd gone mad.
"Do you mean to tell me you've pawned my clothes?" he shouts.
"Me and Peter did," ses Ginger, sitting up in bed and getting ready for a
row.
Isaac dropped on the bed agin all of a 'cap. "And wot am I to do?" he
ses.
"If you be'ave yourself," ses Ginger, "and give us our money, me and
Peter'll go and get 'em out agin. When we've 'ad breakfast, that is.
There's no hurry."
"But I 'aven't got the money," ses Isaac; "it was all sewn up in the
lining of the coat. I've on'y got about five shillings. You've made a nice
mess of it, Ginger, you 'ave."

"You're a silly fool, Ginger, that's wot you are," ses Peter.
"Sewn up in the lining of the coat?" ses Ginger, staring.
"The bank-notes was," ses Isaac, "and three pounds in gold 'idden in the
cap. Did you pawn that too?"
Ginger got up in 'is excitement and walked up and down the room. "We
must go and get 'em out at once," he ses.
"And where's the money to do it with?" ses Peter.
Ginger 'adn't thought of that, and it struck 'im all of a heap. None of 'em
seemed to be able to think of a way of getting the other ten shillings
wot was wanted, and Ginger was so upset that 'e took no notice of the
things Peter kept saying to 'im.
"Let's go and ask to see 'em, and say we left a railway-ticket in the
pocket," ses Peter.
Isaac shook 'is 'ead. "There's on'y one way to do it," he ses. "We shall
'ave to pawn your clothes, Ginger, to get mine out with."
"That's the on'y way, Ginger," ses Peter, brightening up. "Now, wot's
the good o' carrying on like that? It's no worse for you to be without
your clothes for a little while than it was for pore old Isaac."
It took 'em quite arf an hour afore they could get Ginger to see it. First
of all 'e wanted Peter's clothes to be took instead of 'is, and when Peter
pointed out that they was too shabby to fetch ten shillings 'e 'ad a lot o'
nasty things to say about wearing such old rags, and at last, in a terrible
temper, 'e took 'is clothes off and pitched 'em in a 'eap on the floor.
"If you ain't back in arf an hour, Peter," 'e ses, scowling at 'im, "you'll
'ear from me, I can tell you."
"Don't you worry about that," ses Isaac, with a smile. "I'm going to take
'em."

"You?" ses Ginger; "but you can't. You ain't got no clothes."
"I'm going to wear Peter's," ses Isaac, with a smile.
Peter asked 'im to listen to reason, but it was all no good. He'd got the
pawn-ticket, and at last Peter, forgetting all he'd said to Ginger Dick
about using bad langwidge, took 'is clothes off, one by one, and dashed
'em on the floor, and told Isaac some of the things 'e thought of 'im.
The old man didn't take any notice of 'im. He dressed 'imself up very
slow and careful in Peter's clothes, and then 'e drove 'em nearly crazy
by wasting time making 'is bed.
"Be as quick as you can, Isaac," ses Ginger, at last; "think of us two
a-sitting 'ere waiting for you."
"I sha'n't forget it," ses Isaac, and 'e came back to the door after 'e'd
gone arf-way down the stairs to ask 'em not to go out on the drink while
'e was away.
It was nine o'clock when he went, and at ha'-past nine Ginger began to
get impatient and wondered wot 'ad 'appened to 'im, and when ten
o'clock came and no Isaac they was both leaning out of the winder with
blankets over their shoulders looking up the road. By eleven o'clock
Peter was in very low spirits and Ginger was so mad 'e was afraid to
speak to 'im.
They spent the rest o'