The Project Gutenberg EBook of Night Watches, by W.W. Jacobs

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Title: Night Watches

Author: W.W. Jacobs

Release Date: October 30, 2006 [EBook #12161]

Language: English

Character set encoding: US-ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NIGHT WATCHES ***

Produced by David Widger

NIGHT WATCHES

by W.W. Jacobs.

CONTENTS:

BACK TO BACK

KEEPING WATCH

THE UNDERSTUDY

THE WEAKER VESSEL

STEPPING BACKWARDS

THE THREE SISTERS

THE UNKNOWN

THE VIGIL

EASY MONEY

HIS OTHER SELF

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS:

"oh, Bill!" She Gasped. "and by Daylight, Too!"

"i'd Pretty Well Swear he Ain't the Same Dog"

"you--you Had Better Let Me Take Care of That"

"i Hope They Won't Meet 'er, Pore Thing," he Ses.

Mrs. Ward and Her Daughter Flung Themselves Hastily
Between the Sergeant-major and his Intended Sacrifice

I Got out at Last by Playing a Game on Her

BACK TO BACK

Mrs. Scutts, concealed behind the curtain, gazed at the cab in uneasy
amazement. The cabman clambered down from the box and, opening the
door, stood by with his hands extended ready for any help that might be
needed. A stranger was the first to alight, and, with his back towards
Mrs. Scutts, seemed to be struggling with something in the cab. He
placed a dangling hand about his neck and, staggering under the weight,
reeled backwards supporting Mr. Scutts, whose other arm was round the
neck of a third man. In a flash Mrs. Scutts was at the door.

"Oh, Bill!" she gasped. "And by daylight, too!"

Mr. Scutts raised his head sharply and his lips parted; then his head
sank again, and he became a dead weight in the grasp of his assistants.

"He's all right," said one of them, turning to Mrs. Scutts.

A deep groan from Mr. Scutts confirmed the statement.

"What is it?" inquired his wife, anxiously.

"Just a little bit of a railway accident," said one of the strangers.
"Train ran into some empty trucks. Nobody hurt--seriously," he added,
in response to a terrible and annoyed groan from Mr. Scutts.

With his feet dragging helplessly, Mr. Scutts was conveyed over his own
doorstep and placed on the sofa.

"All the others went off home