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536,
of clothes. Sitting on the grass beside it, he turned out,
one by-one',.the articles it contained, untilhc came.to a
conspicuous bright red neckerchief stained black here
and- there by wear. It arrested his attention, and he sat
pausing over’it, until he took elf ‘the rusty colourless
wisp that he wore round his throat, and substituted the
red neckerchief, leaving, the long ends flowing. “ Now,”
said the Rogue, “if arter he sees me in this .ueckhan'-
kecher,'I seehini ina sim’lar neckhankecher, it won’t be
accident I” Elated by his device, he carried his chest
in again and went to supper. ' ‘ ’
. “ Lockho I "Lock 1” It was a light night, and a barge
coming down summoned him out of a long doze. In due
course he had let the barge through and was alone again,
looking to the closing of his gates, when Bradley Head-
stone appeared before him, standing on the brink of the
“ Halloa. l” said Riderhood.
est?” ' - . ' . . - . -
“ He has put up for the night, at an Angler’s Inn,”
was the fatigued and hoarse reply. “ He goes on, up
the river, at six in the morning. K I have come back‘ for
a couple of hours’ rest.” . , I
“‘ You want 'em,” said Riderhood, making towards the
schoolmaster by his plankbridge. . , .
“I don’t want them,” returned Bradley, irritably,
‘ ‘because I would rather not have them, but would much
prefer to follow him all night. .However, if he won’t
lead, lcan’t follow.‘ I have been waiting about, until I
could discover, for a certainty, at what time he starts :
if I couldn’t have made sure of it, I should have stayed
there.-This would be a bad.pit for a man to be flung
into ‘with his hands tied. . These slippery smooth walls
would give him no chance. And I suppose those gates
would suck him down?” ' ,
“Suck him down,'or swaller him up, he wouldn’t get
out,” said Riderhood. “ Not even if his hands warn’t
tied, he wouldn't. Shut him in at both ends, and I’d give
him a pint 0’ old ale ever to come up to me standing here.”
. Bradley looked down with a ghastly relish. . “ You
runabout the brink, and run across it, in this uncertain
light, on a few inches’ width of rotten wood,” said he.
“I wonder you have no thought of being drowned.”.
"I'can’t be!” said Riderhood. . . ' V , -
" You‘can’t he drowned?” - . , . r -
“No I ” said Riderhood, shaking his head with. an air
of thorough conviction, “ it’s well .known. I've been
brought out o’ drowning, and I can’t be drowned. I
wouldn't have that there busted B’lowbridger aware on
it, or her people might make it tellagin’ thedamages I
mean to get- But it’s well known to water-side charac.
ters like myself, that him as has been brought out o’
drowning, can never be drowncd.’,' . . , ;
Bradley smiled sourly at the ignorancche would have
corrected in one of his pupils, and continued to ‘look
down into the water, as if the place had a gloomy fasci.
nation for him. .- . : ,-
$‘IYou seem to like it,” said Riderhood.
e took no notice, but stood lookin down '
not heard the words.‘ There was a. diary darkaiizgifsslidg
on his face ; an expression that the Rogue found it hard
to understand. It was fierce, and full of purpose - but
the purpose might have been as much against hifnself
as against another. If he had stepped back for a spring
taken a. leap, and thrown himself in, it would havebeen
no surprising sequel to the look.’ Perhaps his troubled
sou , set 11 u some violence, did
betulrgen tli)-.3: violence and anothcrlmv.er forfhe moment
“ idn’t you sa ,” asked Riderh I '
him for a while with n sidelong gi:gEoaf$?;s7;?,t1fh11,I;%
come back fora couple 0’ hours’ rest?" ‘But -even then
he had to jog him with his elbow before he answered ‘
“Eh?"Yes.” ' ' - ', h
II’ I - '
homI:’a;l:Stt?ypu better comein and take your couple 0’ <1
you. I’ Yes.” - - .
it t 0 look of one ’nst awakened
Riderhood into the Lock‘-l"1ousc. where tht3h(l%atft(t)2]rlmp7:da-
rluccd from a cupboard some cold salt beef and half a
loaf, some gin in a bottle, and some water in a jug.’ The
last he brought in, cool and dripping, from the river,
:“Back a’ ready, T’other-
C'HAlRLES‘DIOKEN WORKS.
bronght‘.forth,,into the now sober grey light, hischest .,
“ There, 'l"otherest,” said Riderhood, stooping over
him to put it on the table.“ ‘.‘ Yo'J.’d better take a bite
and a sup, afore you take your snooze.” 'Thc draggling
ends of the red neckerchief caught the schoolmastefs
eyes. - Riderhood saw him look at it. xw : '- >
“ Oh !" thought that worthy.. ' .‘.‘You’re a-taking
notice, are you? Come I .You shall have a good squint
at it then.” VVith which reflection he sat down on the
other side of the table, threw open his vest, and made a
pretence of re-tyingthe ncckerchief with much delib-
eration.’ . = r: N 1 ..- '
Bradley ate and drank. As he sat at his platter and
mug, Riderhood saw him, again: and yet again, steal a
look at the neckerchief, as if he werecorrecting his
slow observation and -prompting his sluggish memory.
.“ When you’re ready for your snooze 7”. said that honest
creature, “chuck -yourself on my. bed in the’ corner,
T’of.herest. It’ll be broad day afore three. I'll call you
ear.’“.I .; L’
E “I shall require no calling,” answered Bradley. And
soon afterwards, divesting himself only of his shoes and
coat, laid himself down. . -e < r: ; .',
Riderhood, leaning back in his wooden arm-chair, with
his arms folded on his breast,‘ looked at him lying with
his right handv"lenehed'in his sleep and his teeth set,
until a.Iilm camevover his own sight, and he slept too.
He awoke to find that it was daylight,‘ andthat his vis-
itor was already astir, and going out to Ithe river-side to
cool his head :-“. Though vl’m blest,” muttered Rider-
hood at the Lock-house door, looking after him, "if I
think there's water enough in all the Thames to do that
for you!” VVithin five minutes he had taken his de-
parture, and was passing on into the calm distance as
he had passed yesterday. Riderhood knew when a fish
leaped, by his starting and glancing around. : . . I
" "“ Lock ho l ’ Lock l'.’: at intervals all day, and “ Lock 1
ho l Lock 1” thrice in‘ the ensuing night, but no return
of Bradley. e The second day was sultry and oppressive.
In the afternoon, a thunderstormvcame up,:' and had but
newly broken into a furious sweep of rain when-he
rushed in at the door,-like the storm itself.
“You've seen him with herl” exclaimed Riderhood,
starting up. . . -
" I have.” .
2" Where?”
“At his journey’sl:endJ. .‘.H‘is-boat’s hauled up for
three days. .I heard him give the order. ' Then,-I saw
him" wait for her and ‘meet ‘her. ' I saw them ”-1.19
stopped as though he were suffocating, and began again
-“I saw them walking side by side, last night."
“ lVhat did you do?” 1 -.
. “ Nothing.” - - ' '
“ What are you going to do 7”‘ .. -
He dropped into a chair, and laughed.
' 1
Immediately
afterwards, a great spirt of blood burst from his-nose
“ How does that happen?” asked Riderhood. I
‘.‘ I don’t know. '1 can’t keep it back. It has happened
tvvicwthree times-4four times-I don’t know how 11111115’
times-since last night.‘ I taste it, smell it, see it, 17'
chokes me, and then it breaks out like this.” 4 v '1 ' '
Ho went-into the peltir:g:rain again vwithihisihend
bare, and bending low over the river, and scooping UP
the water with his two hands,’ washed the blood awni-
Allrbeyond his -tigure, as Riderhood looked‘ from the
door, was a vast dark curtain in solemn movement to-
wards one quarter of the heavens.
and came back, wet'from head to foot, but with’ the
lower part of his sleeves, where he had dipped into the
river, streaming water. ‘ ' ' ' I - - V ‘
He raised his head
“ Your face is like a ghost's,”. said Riderhood. ,
“ Did you ever see a ghost?” was the sullen retort." '
“ I mean to say you are quite wore out.” ‘
;“ That may well be. I have hadzno rest since I left
ere. I don’t remember 3 that I have so;much as SM
own since I left here.” ' I ' a ' 1 v ' ‘ '
"Lie down now, then,” saidflliderhood.-'. " ' H ‘
" I will, if you will give me something to quench my
thirst first.”
The bottle, and jug were again produced, and he mired
a weakdraught, and another, and drank both-in quick
succession.
“ You asked me something,” he said.then.'
‘ “ No, I didn’t,” replied Riderhood. -;. ..
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