y, and the barmaid, a fine-looking
girl, seemed to take a lot o' notice of Peter. Ginger waited about
outside for nearly a couple of hours, and at last they came out, talking
and larfing, with Peter wearing a white rose wot the barmaid 'ad given
'im.

"Ginger Dick 'ad a good bit to say about keeping 'im waiting all that
time, but Sam said that they'd been getting valuable information, an'
the more 'e could see of it the easier the job appeared to be, an' then
him an' Peter wished for to bid Ginger good-bye, while they went and
'unted up a red-'aired friend o' Peter's named Charlie Bates.

"They all went in somewhere and 'ad a few drinks first, though, and
arter a time Ginger began to see things in a different light to wot
'e 'ad before, an' to be arf ashamed of 'is selfishness, and 'e called
Sam's pot a loving-cup, an' kep' on drinking out of it to show there
was no ill-feeling, although Sam kep' telling him there wasn't. Then
Sam spoke up about tattooing agin, and Ginger said that every man in the
country ought to be tattooed to prevent the smallpox. He got so excited
about it that old Sam 'ad to promise 'im that he should be tattooed that
very night, before he could pacify 'im.

"They all went off 'ome with their arms round each other's necks, but
arter a time Ginger found that Sam's neck wasn't there, an' 'e stopped
and spoke serious to Peter about it. Peter said 'e couldn't account for
it, an' 'e had such a job to get Ginger 'ome that 'e thought they would
never ha' got there. He got 'im to bed at last an' then 'e sat down and
fell asleep waiting for Sam.

"Ginger was the last one to wake up in the morning, an' before 'e woke
he kept making a moaning noise. His 'ead felt as though it was going to
bust, 'is tongue felt like a brick, and 'is chest was so sore 'e could
'ardly breathe. Then at last 'e opened 'is eyes and looked up and saw
Sam an' Peter and a little man with a black moustache.

"'Cheer up, Ginger,' ses Sam, in a kind voice, 'it's going on
beautiful.'

"'My 'ead's splittin',' ses Ginger, with a groan, 'an' I've got pins an'
needles all over my chest.'

"'Needles,' ses the man with the black moustache. 'I never use pins;
they'd pison the flesh.'

"Ginger sat up in bed and stared at 'im; then 'e bent 'is 'ead down and
squinted at 'is chest, and next moment 'e was out of bed and all three
of 'em was holding 'im down on the floor to prevent 'im breaking the
tattooer's neck which 'e'd set 'is 'eart u