Page:WW Jacobs--The lady of the barge.djvu/226

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The Lady of the Barge

"'You stole my pig,' ses Herbert Smith.

" 'Oh, 'ave I ?' ses Bob, reaching down a 'and o' pork. 'Is that your pig?' he ses.

" 'It's just about the size o' my pore pig,' ses Herbert Smith.

" 'Very usual size, I call it,' ses Bob Pretty ; 'and them ducks and bins very usual-looking bins and ducks, I call 'em, except that they don't grow 'em so fat in these parts. It's a fine thing when a man's doing a honest bisness to 'ave these charges brought agin 'im. Dis'eartening, I call it. I don't mind telling you that the tiger got in at my back winder the other night and took arf a pound o' sausage, but you don't 'ear me complaining and going about calling other people thieves.'

" 'Tiger be hanged,' ses Henery Walker, who was almost certain that a loin o' pork on the table was off 'is pig; 'you're the only tiger in these parts.'

"Why, Henery,' ses Bob Pretty, *wot are you a-thinkin' of ? Where's your memory ? Why, it's on'y two or three days ago you see it and 'ad to get up a tree out of its way.*

"He smiled and shook 'is 'ead at 'im, but

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