he looked brown, and healthy, and
strong.

Then I became aware of the presence of Ike, who said with a grim smile:

"Don't you heed them, my lad. I see one of 'em chuck it and then turn
round. Wait a bit and I shall get a charnce, and I'll drar my whip
round one of 'em in a way as'll be a startler."

A quick busy-looking man came bustling up just then, had a chat with
Ike, and hurried off, carrying away my companion; and as soon as he had
gone a bruised potato struck the side of the cart, and as I changed my
position a damaged stump of a cauliflower struck Basket on the flank,
making him start and give himself a shake that rattled all the chains of
the harness before resettling down to the task of picking the corn out
of the chaff in his well-filled nose-bag.

My first idea was to call Shock down from where he was see-sawing his
legs to and fro till his feet looked like two tilt-hammers beating a
piece of iron, and then with his help attack the young vagabonds who
were amusing themselves by making me a target for all the market refuse
they could find.

Second thoughts are said to be best, and I had sense enough to know that
nothing would be gained by a struggle with the young roughs. So,
gaining knowledge from my previous experience, I changed my position so
as to get in the front of some sturdy-looking men who were all standing
with their hands in their pockets chinking their money. I had yet to
learn that they were costermongers waiting for prices to come down.

Directly after _whiz_! came something close by my head and struck one of
the men in the face, with the result that he made a dash at the boys,
who darted away in and out among the baskets, whooping and yelling
defiance; but one ran right into the arms of a man in uniform, who gave
him three or four sharp cuts with a cane and sent him howling away.

This episode was hardly over before Ike was back, and he nodded as he
said:

"He's coming direckly to sell us off."

"Shall you be able to sell the things, then, this morning?"

"Sell 'em! I should just think we shall; well too. There's precious
little in the market to-day."

"Little!" I exclaimed. "Why, I thought there would be too much for
ours to be wanted."

"Bless your young innocence! this is nothing. Bad times for the
costers, my boy; they'll get nothing cheap. Here you, Shock, as you are
come, help with these here ropes; and mind, you two, you look after
these new ropes and the sacks