shook their 'eads and rolled their eyes, and then Sam
see wot was the matter with 'em. Fust thing 'e did was to pull out 'is
knife and cut Ginger's gag off, and the fust thing Ginger did was to call
'im every name 'e could lay his tongue to.

"You wait a moment," he screams, 'arf crying with rage. "You wait till I
get my 'ands loose and I'll pull you to pieces. The idea o' leaving us
like this all night, you old crocodile. I 'eard you come in. I'll pay
you."

Sam didn't answer 'im. He cut off Peter Russet's gag, and Peter Russet
called 'im 'arf a score o' names without taking breath.

"And when Ginger's finished I'll 'ave a go at you," he ses. "Cut off
these lines."

"At once, d'ye hear?" ses Ginger. "Oh, you wait till I get my 'ands on
you."

Sam didn't answer 'em; he shut up 'is knife with a click and then 'e sat
at the foot o' the bed on Ginger's feet and looked at 'em. It wasn't the
fust time they'd been rude to 'im, but as a rule he'd 'ad to put up with
it. He sat and listened while Ginger swore 'imself faint.

"That'll do," he ses, at last; "another word and I shall put the
bedclothes over your 'ead. Afore I do anything more I want to know wot
it's all about."

Peter told 'im, arter fust calling 'im some more names, because Ginger
was past it, and when 'e'd finished old Sam said 'ow surprised he was
at them for letting Bill do it, and told 'em how they ought to 'ave
prevented it. He sat there talking as though 'e enjoyed the sound of 'is
own voice, and he told Peter and Ginger all their faults and said wot
sorrow it caused their friends. Twice he 'ad to throw the bedclothes
over their 'eads because o' the noise they was making.

[Illustration: "Old Sam said 'ow surprised he was at them for letting
Bill do it."]

"_Are you going--to undo--us?_" ses Ginger, at last.

"No, Ginger," ses old Sam; "in justice to myself I couldn't do it. Arter
wot you've said--and arter wot I've said--my life wouldn't be safe.
Besides which, you'd want to go shares in my money."

He took up 'is chest and marched downstairs with it, and about 'arf an
hour arterward the landlady's 'usband came up and set 'em free. As soon
as they'd got the use of their legs back they started out to look for
Sam, but they didn't find 'im for nearly a year, and as for Bill, they
never set eyes on 'im again.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Bill's Lapse, by W.W. Jacobs

*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BI