Sam's Ghost Read online

time that there was no craft up. A dark night, and a nastymoaning sort of a wind. I 'ad just lighted the lamp at the corner of thewarehouse, wot 'ad blown out, and was sitting down to rest afore puttingthe ladder away, when I 'appened to look along the jetty and saw a headcoming up over the edge of it. In the light of the lamp I saw the deadwhite face of Sam Bullet's ghost making faces at me.

  IN THE LIGHT OF THE LAMP I SAW THE DEAD WHITE FACE]

  I just caught my breath, sharp like, and then turned and ran for thegate like a race-horse. I 'ad left the key in the padlock, in case ofanything happening, and I just gave it one turn, flung the wicket openand slammed it in the ghost's face, and tumbled out into the road.

  I ran slap into the arms of a young policeman wot was passing. Nasty,short-tempered chap he was, but I don't think I was more glad to seeanybody in my life. I hugged 'im till 'e nearly lost 'is breath, andthen he sat me down on the kerb-stone and asked me wot I meant by it.

  Wot with the excitement and the running I couldn't speak at fust, andwhen I did he said I was trying to deceive 'im.

  "There ain't no such thing as ghosts," he ses; "you've been drinking."

  "It came up out o' the river and run arter me like the wind," I ses.

  "Why didn't it catch you, then?" he ses, looking me up and down and allround about. "Talk sense."

  He went up to the gate and peeped in, and, arter watching a moment,stepped inside and walked down the wharf, with me follering. It was mydooty; besides, I didn't like being left all alone by myself.

  Twice we walked up and down and all over the wharf. He flashed hislantern into all the dark corners, into empty barrels and boxes, and thenhe turned and flashed it right into my face and shook his 'ead at me.

  "You've been having a bit of a lark with me," he ses, "and for two pinsI'd take you. Mind, if you say a word about this to anybody, I will."

  He stalked off with his 'ead in the air, and left me all alone in chargeof a wharf with a ghost on it. I stayed outside in the street, ofcourse, but every now and then I fancied I heard something moving aboutthe other side of the gate, and once it was so distinct that I run alongto the Bear's Head and knocked 'em up and asked them for a little brandy,for illness.

  I didn't get it, of course; I didn't expect to; but I 'ad a littleconversation with the landlord from 'is bedroom-winder that did me moregood than the brandy would ha' done. Once or twice I thought he would'ave fallen out, and many a man has 'ad his licence taken away for lessthan a quarter of wot 'e said to me that night. Arter he thought he 'adfinished and was going back to bed agin, I pointed' out to 'im that he'adn't kissed me "good night," and if it 'adn't ha' been for 'is missisand two grown-up daughters and the potman I believe he'd ha' talked to metill daylight.

  'Ow I got through the rest of the night I don't know. It seemed to betwenty nights instead of one, but the day came at last, and when thehands came on at six o'clock they found the gate open and me on dootysame as usual.

  I slept like a tired child when I got 'ome, and arter a steak and onionsfor dinner I sat down and lit my pipe and tried to think wot was to bedone. One thing I was quite certain about: I wasn't going to spendanother night on that wharf alone.

  I went out arter a bit, as far as the Clarendon Arms, for a breath offresh air, and I 'ad just finished a pint and was wondering whether Iought to 'ave another, when Ted Dennis came in, and my mind was made up.He 'ad been in the Army all 'is life, and, so far, he 'ad never seenanything that 'ad frightened 'im. I've seen him myself take on men twice'is size just for the love of the thing, and, arter knocking them silly,stand 'em a pint out of 'is own pocket. When I asked 'im whether he wasafraid of ghosts he laughed so 'ard that the landlord came from the otherend of the bar to see wot was the matter.

  I stood Ted a pint, and arter he 'ad finished it I told 'im just howthings was. I didn't say anything about the watch and chain, becausethere was no need to, and when we came outside agin I 'ad engaged anassistant-watchman for ninepence a night.

  "All you've got to do," I ses, "is to keep me company. You needn't turnup till eight o'clock of a night, and you can leave 'arf an hour afore mein the morning."

  "Right-o!" ses Ted. "And if I see the ghost I'll make it wish it 'adnever been born."

  It was a load off my mind, and I went 'ome and ate a tea that made mymissis talk about the work-'ouse, and orstritches in 'uman shape wot wouldeat a woman out of 'ouse and 'ome if she would let 'em.

  I got to the wharf just as it was striking six, and at a quarter to seventhe wicket was pushed open gentle and the ugly 'ead of Mr. Joe Peel wasshoved inside.

  "Hullo!" I ses. "Wot do you want?"

  "I want to save your life," he ses, in a solemn voice. "You was within ainch of death last night, watchman."

  "Oh!" I ses, careless-like. "'Ow do you know!"

  "The ghost o' Sam Bullet told me," ses Joe. "Arter it 'ad chased you upthe wharf screaming for 'elp, it came round and told me all about it."

  "It seems fond of you," I ses. "I wonder why?"

  "It was in a terrible temper," ses Joe, "and its face was awful to lookat. 'Tell the watchman,' it ses, 'that if he don't give you the watchand chain I shall appear to 'im agin and kill 'im.'"

  "All right," I ses, looking behind me to where three of the 'ands of theDaisy was sitting on the fo'c'sle smoking. "I've got plenty of companyto-night."

  "Company won't save you," ses Joe. "For the last time, are you going togive me that watch and chain, or not? Here's your fifteen bob."

  "No," I ses; "even if I 'ad got it I shouldn't give it to you; and it'sno use giving' it to the ghost, because, being made of air, he 'asn't gotanywhere to put it."

  "Very good," ses Joe, giving me a black look. "I've done all I can tosave you, but if you won't listen to sense, you won't. You'll see SamBullet agin, and you'll not on'y lose the watch and chain but your lifeas well."

  "All right," I ses, "and thank you kindly, but I've got an assistant, asit 'appens--a man wot wants to see a ghost."

  "An' assistant?" ses Joe, staring.

  "An old soldier," I ses. "A man wot likes trouble and danger. His ideais to shoot the ghost and see wot 'appens."

  "Shoot!" ses Joe. "Shoot a pore 'armless ghost. Does he want to be'ung? Ain't it enough for a pore man to be drownded, but wot you musttry and shoot 'im arterwards? Why, you ought to be ashamed o' yourself.Where's your 'art?"

  "It won't be shot if it don't come on my wharf," I ses. "Though I don'tmind if it does when I've got somebody with me. I ain't afraid ofanything living, and I don't mind ghosts when there's two of us. Besideswhich, the noise of the pistol 'll wake up 'arf the river."

  "You take care you don't get woke up," ses Joe, 'ardly able to speak fortemper.

  He went off stamping, and grinding 'is teeth, and at eight o'clock to theminute, Ted Dennis turned up with 'is pistol and helped me take care ofthe wharf. Happy as a skylark 'e was, and to see him 'iding behind abarrel with his pistol ready, waiting for the ghost, a'most made meforget the expense of it all.

  It never came near us that night, and Ted was a bit disappointed nextmorning as he took 'is ninepence and went off. Next night was the same,and the next, and then Ted gave up hiding on the wharf for it, and satand snoozed in the office instead.

  A week went by, and then another, and still there was no sign of SamBullet's ghost, or Joe Peel, and every morning I 'ad to try and work up asmile as I shelled out ninepence for Ted. It nearly ruined me, and,worse than that, I couldn't explain why I was short to the missis. Fustof all she asked me wot I was spending it on, then she asked me who I wasspending it on. It nearly broke up my 'ome--she did smash one kitchen-chair and a vase off the parlour mantelpiece--but I wouldn't tell 'er,and then, led away by some men on strike at Smith's wharf, Ted went onstrike for a bob a night.

  That was arter he 'ad been with me for three weeks, and when Saturdaycame, of course I was more short than ever, and people came and stood attheir doors all the way down our street to listen to the mi
ssis taking mycharacter away.

  I stood it as long as I could, and then, when 'er back