Page:WW Jacobs--The lady of the barge.djvu/210

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The Lady of the Barge

"'Go away' ses Smith.

"'It's the tiger, screams the tramp; 'open the door.'

"'You go away' ses Smith, 'you're attracting it to my place; run up the road and draw it off'"

"Just at that moment John Biggs, the blacksmith, come in from the taproom, and as soon as he 'eard wot was the matter 'e took down Smith's gun from behind the bar and said he was going out to look after the wimmen and children.

"'Open the door,' he ses.

"He was trying to get out and the tramp outside was trying to get in, but Smith held on to that door like a Briton. Then John Biggs lost 'is temper, and he ups with the gun — Smith's own gun, mind you — and fetches 'im a bang over the 'ead with it. Smith fell down at once, and afore we could 'elp ourselves the door was open, the tramp was inside, and John Biggs was running up the road, shouting 'is hardest.

"We 'ad the door closed afore you could wink a'most, and then, while the tramp lay in a

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