en 'e turned pale and 'is eyes seemed
to stick right out of his 'ead.

"He's won it!" he ses, in a choky voice. "It's Number I. Bob Pretty
'as won the prize."

[Illustration: "He's won it!" he ses, in a choky voice.
"It's Number I."]

You never 'eard such a noise in this 'ere public-'ouse afore or since;
everybody shouting their 'ardest, and Bill Chambers stamping up and down
the room as if he'd gone right out of his mind.

"Silence!" ses Mr. Smith, at last. "Silence! How dare you make that
noise in my 'ouse, giving it a bad name? Bob Pretty 'as won it fair and
square. Nothing could ha' been fairer. You ought to be ashamed o'
yourselves."

Bob Pretty wouldn't believe it at fust. He said that Smith was making
game of 'im, and, when Smith held the paper under 'is nose, he kept the
handkerchief on his eyes and wouldn't look at it.

"I've seen you afore to-day," he says, nodding his 'ead. "I like a joke
as well as anybody, but it ain't fair to try and make fun of a pore,
'ard-working man like that."

I never see a man so astonished in my life as Bob Pretty was, when 'e
found out it was really true. He seemed fair 'mazed-like, and stood
there scratching his 'ead, as if he didn't know where 'e was. He come
round at last, arter a pint o' beer that Smith 'ad stood 'im, and then he
made a little speech, thanking Smith for the fair way he 'ad acted, and
took up the hamper.

"'Strewth, it is heavy," he ses, getting it up on his back. "Well, so
long, mates."

"Ain't you--ain't you going to stand us a drink out o' one o' them
bottles?" ses Peter Gubbins, as Bob got to the door.

Bob Pretty went out as if he didn't 'ear; then he stopped, sudden-like,
and turned round and put his 'ead in at the door agin, and stood looking
at 'em.

"No, mates," he ses, at last, "and I wonder at you for asking, arter what
you've all said about me. I'm a pore man, but I've got my feelings. I
drawed fust becos nobody else would, and all the thanks I get for it is
to be called a thief."

He went off down the road, and by and by Bill Chambers, wot 'ad been
sitting staring straight in front of 'im, got up and went to the door,
and stood looking arter 'im like a man in a dream. None of 'em seemed to
be able to believe that the lottery could be all over so soon, and Bob
Pretty going off with it, and when they did make up their minds to it, it
was one o' the most miserable sights you ever see. The idea that they
'ad been payi