t, the beggar! and then if
he didn't say my braces were good 'uns and he'd change. They were good
'uns too, real leather, as a saddler--"

"Well?" said Gunson. "What took place then?"

"Nothing; only that long-haired chap grinned at me and kicked me twice.
'Member that policeman as took us up, Mr Gordon?"

"Yes."

"I only wish I could hand that long-haired chap over to him. Strikes me
they'd cut his hair very short for him before they let him go."

"But what happened next?"

"Nothing, sir; only they tied my hands behind me, and then put a rope
round my ankles, and then one took hold of my head and another of my
feet, and they give me a swing, and pitched me on to a heap of them dry
leaves like we used to see put round the oranges down in Thames Street."

"Indian corn," said Gunson, shortly.

"Yes; and then they went out, and I heard 'em lock the door, leaving me
in the half dark place nearly choked with that hankychy in my mouth."

"Yes; go on, Esau," I said eagerly. And just then the master of the
boat spoke--

"Say, youngster, you was in for it. They meant to hit you over the head
to-night, and chuck you into the harbour after dark."

"Yes," said Gunson.

"Well, I saved 'em the trouble," said Esau. "Oh, I just was mad about
that pipe; and I seemed to think more about them braces than I did about
the money, because, you see, being sewed up like in a belt I never saw
the money, and I used to see the braces, and think what good ones they
was, every day."

"Go on, Esau," I said. "How did you get away?"

"Well, I lay there a bit frightened at first and listened, and all was
still; and then I began to wonder what you and Mr Gunson would think
about me, and last of all, as I couldn't hardly breathe, and that great
rag thing in my mouth half choked me, I turned over on my face, and
began pushing and pushing like a pig, running my nose along till I got
the hankychy that was tight round my face down over my nose, and then
lower and lower over my mouth and chin, till it was loose round my
neck."

I glanced round and saw that the man who was forward had crept back, and
that the other who held the sheet of the sail, and the master who was
steering, were all listening attentively, while the boat rushed swiftly
through the water.

"Next job," said Esau, "was to get that choking rag out of my mouth; and
hard work it was, for they'd rammed it in tight, and all the time I was
trying I was listening too, so a