Sailors Knots | Page 5

up in one corner. Rupert dressed like lightning, and he 'ad just put on 'is

cap when the door at the back opened and a 'orrid fat black woman
came out and began to chatter.
Rupert told her to hush, and she 'ushed, and then he waved 'is hand to
'er to say "good-bye," and afore you could say Jack Robinson she 'ad
grabbed up a bit o' dirty blanket, a bundle of assegais, and a spear, and
come out arter us.
"Back!" ses Rupert in a whisper, pointing.
[Illustration: "Back!" ses Rupert in a whisper, pointing.]
Kumbo shook her 'ead, and then he took hold of 'er and tried to shove
'er back, but she wouldn't go. I lent him a 'and, but all wimmen are the
same, black or white, and afore I knew where I was she 'ad clawed my
cap off and scratched me all down one side of the face.
"Walk fast," ses Rupert.
I started to run, but it was all no good; Kumbo kept up with us easy,
and she was so pleased at being out in the open air that she began to
dance and play about like a kitten. Instead o' minding their own
business people turned and follered us, and quite a crowd collected.
"We shall 'ave the police in a minute," ses Rupert. "Come in 'ere--
quick."
He pointed to a pub up a side street, and went in with Kumbo holding
on to his arm. The barman was for sending us out at fust, but such a
crowd follered us in that he altered 'is mind. I ordered three pints, and,
while I was 'anding Rupert his, Kumbo finished 'ers and began on mine.
I tried to explain, but she held on to it like grim death, and in the
confusion Rupert slipped out.
He 'adn't been gone five seconds afore she missed 'im, and I never see
anybody so upset in all my life. She spilt the beer all down the place
where 'er bodice ought to ha' been, and then she dropped the pot and
went arter 'im like a hare. I follered in a different way, and when I got

round the corner I found she 'ad caught 'im and was holding 'im by the
arm.
O' course, the crowd was round us agin, and to get rid of 'em I did a
thing I'd seldom done afore--I called a cab, and we all bundled in and
drove off to the wharf, with the spear sticking out o' the window, and
most of the assegais sticking into me.
"This is getting serious," ses Rupert.
"Yes," I ses; "and wot 'ave I done to be dragged into it? You must ha'
been paying 'er some attention to make 'er carry on like this."
I thought Rupert would ha' bust, and the things he said to the man wot
was spending money like water to rescue 'im was disgraceful.
We got to the wharf at last, and I was glad to see that my pal 'ad got
tired of night-watching and 'ad gone off, leaving the gate open. Kumbo
went in 'anging on to Rupert's arm, and I follered with the spear, which
I 'ad held in my 'and while I paid the cabman.
They went into the office, and Rupert and me talked it over while
Kumbo kept patting 'is cheek. He was afraid that the manager would
track 'im to the wharf, and I was afraid that the guv'nor would find out
that I 'ad been neglecting my dooty, for the fust time in my life.
We talked all night pretty near, and then, at ha'-past five, arf an hour
afore the 'ands came on, I made up my mind to fetch a cab and drive
'em to my 'ouse. I wanted Rupert to go somewhere else, but 'e said he
'ad got nowhere else to go, and it was the only thing to get 'em off the
wharf. I opened the gates at ten minutes to six, and just as the fust man
come on and walked down the wharf we slipped in and drove away.
We was all tired and yawning. There's something about the motion of a
cab or an omnibus that always makes me feel sleepy, and arter a time I
closed my eyes and went off sound. I remember I was dreaming that I
'ad found a bag o' money, when the cab pulled up with a jerk in front of
my 'ouse and woke me up. Opposite me sat Kumbo fast asleep, and

Rupert 'ad disappeared!
I was dazed for a moment, and afore I could do anything Kumbo woke
up and missed Rupert. Wot made matters worse than anything was that
my missis was kneeling down in the passage doing 'er