the ragged trousered philanthropists-第108节

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orf　a　bit　early　…　so　w'en　'e　kept　on　shoutin'　I　never　made　no　answer　to　'im；　but　ups　with　me　fist　an'　I　gives　'im　a　slosh　in　the　dial　an'　stopped　'is　clock！　　Then　I　chucked　the　pot　o'　w'ite　paint　hover　'im；　an'　kicked　'im　down　the　bloody　stairs。'

‘Serve　'im　blooming　well　right；　too；'　said　Crass　as　he　took　a　fresh　glass　of　beer　from　one　of　the　others；　who　had　just　‘stood'　another　round。

‘What　did　the　br　say　to　that？'　inquired　the　tall　man。

‘Not　a　bloody　word！'　replied　the　little　man；　‘'E　picked　'isself　up；　and　called　a　keb　wot　was　passin'　an'　got　inter　it　an'　went　'ome；　an'　I　never　seen　no　more　of　'im　until　about　'arf…past　eleven　the　next　day；　w'en　I　was　second…coatin'　the　room；　an'　'e　comes　up　with　a　noo　suit　o'　clothes　on；　an'　arsts　me　if　I'd　like　to　come　hover　to　the　pub　an'　'ave　a　drink？　　So　we　goes　hover；　an'　'e　calls　for　a　w'iskey　an'　soda　for　isself　an'　arsts　me　wot　I'd　'ave；　so　I　'ad　the　same。　　An'　w'ile　we　was　gettin'　it　down　us；　'e　ses　to　me；　〃Ah；　Garge；〃　'e　ses。　　〃You　losed　your　temper　with　me　yesterday；〃'　'e　ses。'

‘There　you　are；　you　see！'　said　the　tall　man。　　‘There's　an　example　for　yer！　　If　you　'adn't　served　'im　as　you　did　you'd　most　likely　'ave　'ad　to　put　up　with　a　lot　more　ole　buck。'

They　all　agreed　that　the　little　man　had　done　quite　right：　they　all　said　that　they　didn'　blame　him　in　the　least：　they　would　all　have　done　the　same：　in　fact；　this　was　the　way　they　all　conducted　themselves　whenever　occasion　demanded　it。　　To　hear　them　talk；　one　would　imagine　that　such　affairs　as　the　recent　exploit　of　Bill　Bates　and　the　Semi…drunk　were　constantly　taking　place；　instead　of　only　occurring　about　once　in　a　blue　moon。

Crass　stood　the　final　round　of　drinks；　and　as　he　evidently　thought　that　circumstance　deserved　to　be　signalized　in　some　special　manner；　he　proposed　the　following　toast；　which　was　drunk　with　enthusiasm：

　　　　　　　　‘To　hell　with　the　man；　　　　　　　　　May　he　never　grow　fat；　　　　　　　　　What　carries　two　faces；　　　　　　　　　Under　one　'at。'

Rushton　&　Co。　did　a　lot　of　work　that　summer。　　They　did　not　have　many　big　jobs；　but　there　were　a　lot　of　little　ones；　and　the　boy　Bert　was　kept　busy　running　from　one　to　the　other。　　He　spent　most　of　his　time　dragging　a　handcart　with　loads　of　paint；　or　planks　and　steps；　and　seldom　went　out　to　work　with　the　men；　for　when　he　was　not　taking　things　out　to　the　various　places　where　the　philanthropists　were　working；　he　was　in　the　paintshop　at　the　yard；　scraping　out　dirty　paint…pots　or　helping　Crass　to　mix　up　colours。　　Although　scarcely　anyone　seemed　to　notice　it；　the　boy　presented　a　truly　pitiable　spectacle。　　He　was　very　pale　and　thin。　　Dragging　the　handcart　did　not　help　him　to　put　on　flesh；　for　the　weather　was　very　hot　and　the　work　made　him　sweat。

His　home　was　right　away　on　the　other　side　of　Windley。　　It　took　him　more　than　three…quarters　of　an　hour　to　walk　to　the　shop；　and　as　he　had　to　be　at　work　at　six；　that　meant　that　he　had　to　leave　home　at　a　few　minutes　past　five　every　morning；　so　that　he　always　got　up　about　half　past　four。

He　was　wearing　a　man's　coat　…　or　rather　jacket　…　which　gave　the　upper　part　of　his　body　a　bulky　appearance。　　The　trousers　were　part　of　a　suit　of　his　own；　and　were　somewhat　narrowly　cut；　as　is　the　rule　with　boys'　cheap　ready…made　trousers。　　These　thin　legs　appearing　under　the　big　jacket　gave　him　a　rather　grotesque　appearance；　which　was　heightened　by　the　fact　that　all　his　clothes；　cap；　coat；　waistcoat；　trousers　and　boots；　were　smothered　with　paint　and　distemper　of　various　colours；　and　there　were　generally　a　few　streaks　of　paint　of　some　sort　or　other　upon　his　face；　and　of　course　his　hands　…　especially　round　the　fingernails　…　were　grimed　with　it。　　But　the　worst　of　all　were　the　dreadful　hobnailed　boots：　the　leather　of　the　uppers　of　these　was　an　eighth　of　an　inch　thick；　and　very　stiff。　　Across　the　fore　part　of　the　boot　this　hard　leather　had　warped　into　ridges　and　valleys；　which　chafed　his　feet；　and　made　them　bleed。　　The　soles　were　five…eighths　of　an　inch　thick；　covered　with　hobnails；　and　were　as　hard　and　inflexible　and　almost　as　heavy　as　iron。　　These　boots　hurt　his　feet　dreadfully　and　made　him　feel　very　tired　and　miserable；　for　he　had　such　a　lot　of　walking　to　do。　He　used　to　be　jolly　glad　when　dinner…time　came；　for　then　he　used　to　get　out　of　sight　in　some　quiet　spot　and　lie　down　for　the　whole　hour。　　His　favourite　dining…place　was　up　in　the　loft　over　the　carpenter's　shop；　where　they　stored　the　mouldings　and　architraves。　　No　one　ever　came　there　at　that　hour；　and　after　he　had　eaten　his　dinner　he　used　to　lie　down　and　think　and　rest。

He　nearly　always　had　an　hour　for　dinner；　but　he　did　not　always　have　it　at　the　same　time：　sometimes　he　had　it　at　twelve　o'clock　and　sometimes　not　till　two。　　It　all　depended　upon　what　stuff　had　to　be　taken　to　the　job。

Often　it　happened　that　some　men　at　a　distant　job　required　some　material　to　use　immediately　after　dinner；　and　perhaps　Crass　was　not　able　to　get　it　ready　till　twelve　o'clock；　so　that　it　was　not　possible　to　take　it　before　dinner…time；　and　if　Bert　left　it　till　after　dinner　the　men　would　be　wasting　their　time　waiting　for　it：　so　in　such　cases　he　took　it　there　first　and　had　his　dinner　when　he　came　back。

Sometimes　he　got　back　about　half　past　twelve；　and　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　take　out　another　lot　of　material　at　one　o'clock。

In　such　a　case　he　‘charged'　half　an　hour　overtime　on　his　time　sheet　…　he　used　to　get　twopence　an　hour　for　overtime。

Sometimes　Crass　sent　him　with　a　handcart　to　one　job　to　get　a　pair　of　steps　or　tressels；　or　a　plank；　or　some　material　or　other；　and　take　them　to　another　job；　and　on　these　occasions　it　was　often　very　late　before　he　was　able　to　take　his　meals。　　Instead　of　getting　his　breakfast　at　eight；　it　was　often　nearly　nine　before　he　got　back　to　the　shop；　and　frequently　he　had　to　go　without　dinner　until　half　past　one　or　two。

Sometimes　he　could　scarcely　manage　to　carry　the　pots　of　paint　to　the　jobs；　his　feet　were　so　hot　and　sore。　　When　he　had　to　push　the　cart　it　was　worse　still；　and　often　when　knocking…off　time　came　he　felt　so　tired　that　he　could　scarcely　manage　to　walk　home。

But　the　weather　was　not　always　hot　or　fine：　sometimes　it　was　quite　cold；　almost　like　winter；　and　there　was　a　lot　of　rain　that　summer。　　At　such　times　the　boy　frequently　got　wet　through　several　times　a　day　as　he　went　from　one　job　to　another；　and　he　had　to　work　all　the　time　in　his　wet　clothes　and　boots；　which　were　usually　old　and　out　of　repair　and　let　in　the　water。

One　of　the　worst　jobs　that　he　had　to　do　was　when　a　new　stock　of　white　lead　came　in。　　This　stuff　came　in　wooden　barrels　containing　two　hundredweight；　and　he　used　to　have　to　dig　it　out　of　these　barrels　with　a　trowel；　and　put　it　into　a　metal　tank；　where　it　was　kept　covered　with　water；　and　the　empty　barrels　were　returned　to　the　makers。

When　he　was　doing　this　work　he　usually　managed　to　get　himself　smeared　all　over　with　the　white　lead；　and　this　circumstance；　and　the　fact　that　he　was　always　handling　paint　or　some　poisonous　material　or　other　was　doubtless　the　cause　of　the　terrible　pains　he　often　had　in　his　stomach　…　pains　that　sometimes　caused　him　to　throw　himself　down　and　roll　on　the　ground　in　agony。

One　afternoon　Crass　sent　him　with　a　handcart　to　a　job　that　Easton；　Philpot；　Harlow　and　Owen　were　just　finishing。　　He　got　there　about　half　past　four　and　helped　the　men　to　load　up　the　things；　and　afterwards　walked　alongside　the　cart　with　them　back　to　the　shop。

On　the　way　they　all　noticed　and　remarked　to　each　other　that　the　boy　looked　tired　and　pale　and　that　he　seemed　to　limp：　but　he　did　not　say　anything；　although　be　guessed　that　they　were　talking　about　him。　　They　arrived　at　the　shop　a　little　before　knocking…off　time　…　about　ten　minutes　past　five。　　Bert　helped　them　to　unload；　and　afterwards；　while　they　were　putting　their　things　away　and　‘charging　up'　the　unused　materials　they　had　brought　back；　he　pushed　the　cart　over　to　the　shed　where　it　was　kept；　on　the　other　side　of　the　yard。　　He　did　not　return　to　the　shop　at　once　and　a　few　minutes　later　when　Harlow　came　out　into　the　yard　to　get　a　bucket　of　water　to　wash　their　hands　with；　he　saw　the　boy　leaning　on　the　side　of　the　cart；　crying；　and　holding　one　foot　off　the　ground。

Harlow　asked　him　what　was　the　matter；　and　while　he　was　speaking　to　him　the　others　came　out　to　see　what　was　up：　the　boy　said　he　had　rheumatism　or　growing　pains　or　something　in　his　leg；　‘just　here　near　the　knee'。　But　he　didn't　say　much；　he　just　cried　miserably；　and　turned　his　head　slowly　from　side　to　side；　avoiding　the　looks　of　the　men　because　he　felt　ashamed　that　they　should　see　him　cry。

When　they　saw　how　ill　and　miserable　he　looked；　the　men　all　put　their　hands　in　their　pockets　to　get　some　coppers　to　give　to　him　so　that　he　could　ride　home　on　the　tram。　　They　gave　him　fivepence　altogether；　more　than　enough　to　ride　all　the　way；　and　Crass　told　him　to　go　at　once　…　there　was　no　need　to　wait　till　half　past；　but　before　he　went　Philpot　got　a　small　glass　bottle　out　of　his　tool　bag　and　filled　it　with　oil　and　turps　…　two　of　turps　and　one　of　oil　…　which　he　gave　to　Bert　to　rub　into　his　leg　before　going　to　bed：　The　turps　…　he　explained　…　was　to　cure　the　pain　and　the　oil　was　to　prevent　it　from　hurting　the　skin。　　He　was　to　get　his　mother　to　rub　it　in　for　him　if　he　were　too　tired　t