To The West | Page 9

said one morning, after Mr Dempster had been a
little more disagreeable than usual about some copying not being
finished, and then gone out, leaving me thinking what I could do to
give him a little more satisfaction, so as to induce him to raise the very
paltry salary he paid me. "'Tain't nonsense. Mother says that if I stop I
shall some day rise and get to be Lord Mayor, but I don't think Demp
would like it, so when you're ready we'll go.--Ready?"
"No."
"You are a fellow!" said Esau, taking up his pen again. "I say, though, I
wish we could get places somewhere else."
"Why not try?"
"Because it would only be to do writing again, and it's what makes me
so sleepy. I'm getting worse--keep making figures and writing out

catalogues till my head gets full of 'em."
"It is tiring," I said, with a sigh. "But do go on; he'll be so cross if that
list isn't finished."
"Can't help it. I'm ever so much more sleepy this morning, and the
words get running one atop of another. Look here," he cried, holding up
a sheet of ruled paper. "This ought to have been `chest of drawers,' and
it's run into one word, `chawers'; and up higher there's another blunder,
`loo-table,'--it's gone wrong too--do you see?--`lable.' My head's all a
buzz."
"Tear it up quickly and write it again."
"Shan't; I shall correct it. No, I know. I shall cut the paper up, and stick
it on another sheet, and write these lines in again. Pass the gum. Oh!"
"What's the matter?"
"Here's `mogany' lower down, and `Tarpet' for `Turkey carpet.'"
"Write it again, do," I said, for I dreaded the scene that I knew there
would be.
"Ah, well, all right, but I know I shall muddle it again, and--"
"As usual," cried Mr Dempster, and we both started back on to our
stools, for we had been standing up on the rails leaning towards each
other over the double desk, so intent on the errors that we had not heard
him open the door softly--I believe, on purpose to surprise us.
We began writing hard, and I felt my heart beating fast, as our
employer banged the door heavily and strode up to the desk.
I gave one quick glance at him as he turned to Esau's side, and snatched
up the sheet of paper the boy tried to hide under the blotting-pad; and
as I looked I saw that his face was flushed and fierce-looking as I had
never seen it before.

"Hah!" he ejaculated, as he took off his glossy hat and stood it on a
chair, with his ivory-handled Malacca cane across it. "Pretty stuff this,
upon my word. Here, let me look at that letter."
He reached over and snatched the missive I was writing from the desk,
and held it up before him.
"Do you call that writing?" he roared. "Disgraceful! Abominable! The
first boy I met in the street would do better. There--and there--and
there!"
He tore the letter to fragments and threw the paper in my face.
"Now then; write another directly," he cried; "and if you dare to--Here,
what are you going to do?" he roared, as Esau took hold of the sheet of
paper containing the errors.
"Going to write it over again, sir."
"Write it over again, you miserable impostor!" he cried, as he snatched
the paper back and laid a leaden weight upon it. "I'll teach you to waste
my time and paper gossiping--that's what it means."
"Here, what are you going to do?" cried Esau, as Mr Dempster seized
him by the collar.
"I'll show you what I'm going to do, you idle young scoundrel," cried
Mr Dempster, and he reached out his hand to take his stout cane from
where it lay across his hat.
"Here, don't you hit me," cried Esau; and he tried to get away, as I sat
breathless, watching all that was going on, and thinking that Mr
Dempster dared not use the walking-cane in the way he seemed to
threaten. Esau evidently thought he would, for he struggled hard now,
but in vain, and he was dragged towards the chair. Then, as pulling
seemed no use, the lad changed his tactics, and he darted forward to
make for the door, just as Mr Dempster's hand was touching the stick,
which he did not secure, for the jerk he received sent cane and hat off

the chair on to the floor.
"You dog!" roared Dempster, as the hat went on to the oilcloth with a
hollow bang.
"Don't you hit me!" cried Esau, struggling wildly to escape; and the
next moment, as they swayed to and fro, I heard a strange crushing
sound, and on looking to see