pon doing, and explaining to
'im that the tattooer was at the top of 'is profession, and that it was
only by a stroke of luck 'e had got 'im. And Sam reminded 'im of wot 'e
'ad said the night before, and said he'd live to thank 'im for it.

"''Ow much is there done?' ses Ginger, at last, in a desprit voice.

"Sam told 'im, and Ginger lay still and called the tattooer all the
names he could think of; which took 'im some time.

"'It's no good going on like that, Ginger,' ses Sam. 'Your chest is
quite spiled at present, but if you on'y let 'im finish it'll be a
perfeck picter.'

"I take pride in it,' ses the tattooer; 'working on your skin, mate, is
like painting on a bit o' silk.'

"Ginger gave in at last, and told the man to go on with the job and
finish it, and 'e even went so far as to do a little bit o' tattooing
'imself on Sam when he wasn't looking. 'E only made one mark, becos
the needle broke off, and Sam made such a fuss that Ginger said any one
would ha' thought 'e'd hurt 'im.

"It took three days to do Ginger altogether, and he was that sore 'e
could 'ardly move or breathe and all the time 'e was laying on 'is
bed of pain Sam and Peter Russet was round at the Blue Lion enjoying
theirselves and picking up information. The second day was the worst,
owing to the tattooer being the worse for licker. Drink affects
different people in different ways, and Ginger said the way it affected
that chap was to make 'im think 'e was sewing buttons on instead o'
tattooing.

"'Owever 'e was done at last; his chest and 'is arms and 'is shoulders,
and he nearly broke down when Sam borrowed a bit o 'looking-glass and
let 'im see hisself. Then the tattooer rubbed in some stuff to make 'is
skin soft agin, and some more stuff to make the marks look a bit old.

"Sam wanted to draw up an agreement, but Ginger Dick and Peter Russet
wouldn't 'ear of it. They both said that that sort o' thing wouldn't
look well in writing, not if anybody else happened to see it, that is;
besides which Ginger said it was impossible for 'im to say 'ow much
money he would 'ave the handling of. Once the tattooing was done 'e
began to take a'most kindly to the plan, an' being an orfin, so far
as 'e knew, he almost began to persuade hisself that the red-'aired
landlady _was_ 'is mother.

"They 'ad a little call over in their room to see 'ow Ginger was to do
it, and to discover the weak p'ints. Sam worked up a squeaky voice, and
pretended to be the la