The Understudy Page 3

good dog."

  "They're all alike to me," I ses. "I couldn't tell 'em apart, not ifyou paid me."

  The skipper stood there a moment, and then he ses: "I wish you'd let mesee 'ow my dog looks in your dog's collar," he ses.

  "Whaffor?" I ses.

  "On'y fancy," he ses. "Oh, Bill!"

  "Yes," I ses.

  "It ain't Christmas," he ses, taking my arm and walking up and down abit, "but it will be soon, and then I mightn't see you. You've done meone or two good turns, and I should like to make you a Christmas-box ofthree 'arf-dollars."

  I let 'im give 'em to me, and then, just to please 'im, I let 'im trythe collar on 'is dog, while I swept up a bit.

  "It looked beautiful on 'im," he ses, when I'd finished; "but I've putit back agin. Come on, Bruno. Good-night, Bill."

  He got 'is dog on the barge agin arter a bit o' trouble, and artermaking sure 'that my dog 'ad got its own collar on I went on with mywork.

  The dog didn't seem to be quite 'imself next day, and he was so fiercein the yard that my missis was afraid to go near 'im. I was going toask the skipper about it, as 'e seemed to know more about dogs than Idid, but when I got to the wharf the barge had sailed.

  It was just getting dark when there came a ring at the gate-bell, andafore I could answer it arf-a-dozen more, as fast as the bell could go.And when I opened the wicket Sam Small and Ginger and Peter Russet alltried to get in at once.

  "Where's the dog?" ses Sam.

  "Tied up," I ses. "Wot's the matter? 'Ave you all gorn mad?"

  They didn't answer me. They ran on to the jetty, and afore I could turnround a'most they 'ad got the dog loose and was dragging it towards me,smiling all over their faces.

  "Reward," ses Ginger, as I caught 'old of 'im by the coat. "Five pounds--landlord of a pub--at Bow--come on, Sam!"

  "Why don't you keep your mouth shut, Ginger?" ses Sam.

  "Five pounds!" I ses. "Five pounds! Hurrah!"

  "Wot are you hurraying about?" ses Sam, very short.

  "Why," I ses, "I s'pose----Here, arf a moment!"

  "Can't stop," ses Sam, going arter the others.

  I watched 'em up the road, and then I locked the gate and walked up anddown the wharf thinking wot a funny thing money is, and 'ow it alterspeople's natures. And arter all, I thought that three arf-dollarsearned honest was better than a reward for hiding another man's dog.

  I finished tidying up, and at nine o'clock I went into the office for aquiet smoke. I couldn't 'elp wondering 'ow them three 'ad got on, andjust as I was thinking about it there came the worst ringing at thegate-bell I 'ave ever 'eard in my life, and the noise of heavy bootskicking the gate. It was so violent I 'ardly liked to go at fust,thinking it might be bad news, but I opened it at last, and in bust SamSmall, with Ginger and Peter.

  For five minutes they all talked at once, with their nasty fists 'eldunder my nose. I couldn't make lead or tail of it at fust, and then Ifound as 'ow they 'ad got the dog back with them, and that the landlord'ad said 'e wasn't the one.

  "But 'e said as he thought the collar was his," ses Sam. "'Ow do youaccount for that?"

  "P'r'aps he made a mistake," I ses; "or p'r'aps he thought you'd turnthe dog adrift and he'd get it back for nothing. You know wot landlordsare. Try 'im agin."

  "I'd pretty well swear he ain't the same dog," ses Peter Russet, lookingin a puzzled way at Sam and Ginger.

  "You take 'im back to-morrow night," I ses. "It's a nice walk to Bow.And then come back and beg my pardon. I want to 'ave a word with thispoliceman here. Goodnight."