nstructions to admit no one, Bindle approached
his brother-in-law.

"Wot jer been doin', 'Earty? The 'ole bloomin' street's full o' carts
and people wantin' to see yer. I brought three vans. What's it all
about?"

Never had Mr. Hearty been so genuinely pleased to see Bindle. Before
he had time to reply to his question, a big man pushed his way past
Smith and entered the shop.

"Where'll yer 'ave the beer, guv'nor?" he shouted in a thick, hearty
voice redolent of the Trade.

"'Ere, come out of the way," shouted a small wiry man who had followed
him in. "All this little lot goin'?" he asked, nodding in the
direction of the crowd that blocked the street. "I only got three
brakes, an' they won't take 'em all."

"What's _your_ little game?" Bindle enquired of the newcomer.

The brakeman eyed him with scornful contempt.

"You Mr. 'Earty?" he enquired.

"I'm 'is brother; 'e's been took ill. There's a mistake. You better
get 'ome."

"Get 'ome!" shouted the man. "'Go's goin' to pay?"

"Try Lloyd George!" suggested Bindle cheerfully.

A policeman pushed his way into the shop and Bindle slipped out. The
real drama was being enacted outside. From all directions a steady
stream of people was pouring towards Mr. Hearty's shop.

"'Earty, 'Earty," murmured Bindle joyously to himself, as he surveyed
the High Street, "wot 'ave yer been an' done?"

The place presented an extraordinary appearance.

There were coal-carts, strings of them, brewers'-drays, laundry-carts,
railway-vans, huge two-horse affairs, pantechnicons, char-a-bancs,
large carts, small carts, and medium-sized carts. There were vehicles
with one, two, and three horses. There were motor-cars, motor-vans,
motor-lorries, and motor-cycles. There were donkey-carts,
spring-carts, push-carts, and pull-carts. Everything capable of
delivering goods was represented, and all were locked together in a
hopelessly congested mass.

Everything had come to a standstill and the trams strove in vain to
clang their way through the inextricable tangle.

The footpaths were crowded with men, women, boys, and dogs, all
endeavouring to reach Mr. Hearty's shop, the Mecca of their pilgrimage.
Crowds overflowed the paths into the roadway and seemed to cement
together the traffic.

Bindle passed along the line intent on gleaning all the information he
could.

"'Ave yer come after the job o' 'ousekeeper, nurse, or dawg?" he asked
one seedy-looking man with an alar