learning also and he'd talk with Johns at the shop-of-all-sorts about
business, or with Samual Mutters, the chemist, about patent medicines, or
with butcher or baker concerning their jobs, or with policemen about
crime, and be worth attending to on any subject.

His pleasure, however, was sporting, and not until he'd dwelt among us a
good bit did a measure of doubt in that matter creep into our praise of
the man.

Round about fifty he might have been--a clean-shaved, active chap, five
feet three inches high, and always bursting with energy. He had grizzled
hair and a blue chin and eyes so bright and black as shoe-buttons. A hard
mouth and lips always pursed up over his yellow teeth; but though it
looked a cruel sort of mouth, nought cruel ever came out of it save in the
matter of politics. He was a red radical and didn't go to church, yet
against that you could set his all-round good-will and friendship and his
uncommon knack of lending a hand to anybody in his power to serve. But he
was up against the Government, and would talk so fierce of a night
sometimes at the 'Barley Sheaf' that Ned Chown, the landlord, who was a
true blue, didn't think so well on Mr. Pegram as the most of us. Friends
he made, but hadn't much use for the women, though he declared himself as
not against them. He was a bachelor-minded man by nature, and yet, what
ain't so common in that sort, he liked childer and often had a halfpenny
in his pocket for one of his pets.

Mrs. Ford, however, he regarded as a great and trustworthy friend, and her
husband also, for, from the time he lodged with them, they all agreed
uncommon well, and Joseph Ford, the policeman, was high in his praises of
Teddy from the first. He happened to be a very radical thinker himself,
did Joseph, but, as became his calling, put law and order first; and you
felt that the newcomer agreed on that matter and didn't want to do
anything contrary to the constitution, but just advance the welfare of the
under-dog by proper means; so Joseph said there was no fault in the man
and praised his opinions.

In truth Teddy Pegram appeared to be a very great stickler for the law and
held it in high respect--so he always declared--and reckoned that those
who put themselves within the reach of it deserved all they got. He might
say doubtful things to Joseph Ford's ear now and again, but nought the
policeman could fairly quarrel with, because both Joseph and Minnie, his
wife, owed Teddy a bit b