Bill's Lapse

by W. W. Jacobs

doorway, whistling for thepolice. Bill struck out right and left, and the men in the bar went downlike skittles, Peter among them. Then they got outside, and Bill, artergiving the landlord a thump in the back wot nearly made him swallow thewhistle, jumped into a cab and pulled Peter Russet in arter 'im.

  "Bill jumped into a cab and pulled Peter Russet in arter'im."]

  "I'll talk to you by-and-by," he ses, as the cab drove off at a gallop;"there ain't room in this cab. You wait, my lad, that's all. You justwait till we get out, and I'll knock you silly."

  "Wot for, Bill?" ses Peter, staring.

  "Don't you talk to me," roars Bill. "If I choose to knock you aboutthat's my business, ain't it? Besides, you know very well."

  He wouldn't let Peter say another word, but coming to a quiet place nearthe docks he stopped the cab and pulling 'im out gave 'im such a dressingdown that Peter thought 'is last hour 'ad arrived. He let 'im go atlast, and after first making him pay the cab-man took 'im along till theycame to a public-'ouse and made 'im pay for drinks.

  They stayed there till nearly eleven o'clock, and then Bill set off home'olding the unfortunit Peter by the scruff o' the neck, and wondering outloud whether 'e ought to pay 'im a bit more or not. Afore 'e could makeup 'is mind, however, he turned sleepy, and, throwing 'imself down on thebed which was meant for the two of 'em, fell into a peaceful sleep.

  Sam and Ginger Dick came in a little while arterward, both badly markedwhere Bill 'ad hit them, and sat talking to Peter in whispers as to wotwas to be done. Ginger, who 'ad plenty of pluck, was for them all to seton to 'im, but Sam wouldn't 'ear of it, and as for Peter he was so sorehe could 'ardly move.

  They all turned in to the other bed at last, 'arf afraid to move for fearof disturbing Bill, and when they woke up in the morning and see 'imsitting up in 'is bed they lay as still as mice.

  "Why, Ginger, old chap," ses Bill, with a 'earty smile, "wot are you allthree in one bed for?" "We was a bit cold," ses Ginger.

  "Cold?" ses Bill. "Wot, this weather? We 'ad a bit of a spree lastnight, old man, didn't we? My throat's as dry as a cinder."

  "It ain't my idea of a spree," ses Ginger, sitting up and looking at 'im.

  "Good 'eavens, Ginger!" ses Bill, starting back, "wotever 'ave you beena-doing to your face? Have you been tumbling off of a 'bus?"

  Ginger couldn't answer; and Sam Small and Peter sat up in bed alongsideof 'im, and Bill, getting as far back on 'is bed as he could, sat staringat their pore faces as if 'e was having a 'orrible dream.

  "And there's Sam," he ses. "Where ever did you get that mouth, Sam?"

  "Same place as Ginger got 'is eye and pore Peter got 'is face," ses Sam,grinding his teeth.

  "You don't mean to tell me," ses Bill, in a sad voice--"you don't mean totell me that I did it?"

  "You know well enough," ses Ginger.

  Bill looked at 'em, and 'is face got as long as a yard measure.

  "I'd 'oped I'd growed out of it, mates," he ses, at last, "but drinkalways takes me like that. I can't keep a pal."

  "You surprise me," ses Ginger, sarcastic-like. "Don't talk like that,Ginger," ses Bill, 'arf crying.

  "It ain't my fault; it's my weakness. Wot did I do it for?"

  "I don't know," ses Ginger, "but you won't get the chance of doing itagin, I'll tell you that much."

  "I daresay I shall be better to-night, Ginger," ses Bill, very humble;"it don't always take me that way.

  "Well, we don't want you with us any more," ses old Sam, 'olding his 'eadvery high.

  "You'll 'ave to go and get your beer by yourself, Bill," ses PeterRusset, feeling 'is bruises with the tips of 'is fingers.

  "But then I should be worse," ses Bill. "I want cheerful company whenI'm like that. I should very likely come 'ome and 'arf kill you all inyour beds. You don't 'arf know what I'm like. Last night was nothing,else I should 'ave remembered it."

  "Cheerful company?" ses old Sam. 'Ow do you think company's going to becheerful when you're carrying on like that, Bill? Why don't you go awayand leave us alone?"

  "Because I've got a 'art," ses Bill. "I can't chuck up pals in thatfree-and-easy way. Once I take a liking to anybody I'd do anything for'em, and I've never met three chaps I like better than wot I do you.Three nicer, straight-forrad, free-'anded mates I've never met afore."

  "Why not take the pledge agin, Bill?" ses Peter Russet.

  "No, mate," ses Bill, with a kind smile; "it's just a weakness, and Imust try and grow out of it. I'll tie a bit o' string round my littlefinger to-night as a re-minder."

  He got out of bed and began to wash 'is face, and Ginger Dick, who wasdoing a bit o' thinking, gave a whisper to Sam and Peter Russet.

  "All right, Bill, old man," he ses, getting out of bed and beginning toput his clothes on; "but first of all we'll try and find out 'ow thelandlord is."

  "Landlord?" ses Bill, puffing and blowing in the basin. "Wot landlord?"

  "Why, the one you bashed," ses Ginger, with a wink at the other two. "He'adn't got 'is senses back when me and Sam came away."

  Bill gave a groan and sat on the bed while 'e dried himself, and Gingertold 'im 'ow he 'ad bent a quart pot on the landlord's 'ead, and 'ow thelandlord 'ad been carried upstairs and the doctor sent for. He began totremble all over, and when Ginger said he'd go out and see 'ow the landlay 'e could 'ardly thank 'im enough.

  He stayed in the bedroom all day, with the blinds down, and wouldn't eatanything, and when Ginger looked in about eight o'clock to find outwhether he 'ad gone, he found 'im sitting on the bed clean shaved, and'is face cut about all over where the razor 'ad slipped.

  Ginger was gone about two hours, and when 'e came back he looked sosolemn that old Sam asked 'im whether he 'ad seen a ghost. Ginger didn'tanswer 'im; he set down on the side o' the bed and sat thinking.

  "I s'pose--I s'pose it's nice and fresh in the streets this morning?"ses Bill, at last, in a trembling voice.

  Ginger started and looked at 'im. "I didn't notice, mate," he ses. Then'e got up and patted Bill on the back, very gentle, and sat down again.

  "Patted Bill on the back, very gentle."]

  "Anything wrong, Ginger?" asks Peter Russet, staring at 'im.

  "It's that landlord," ses Ginger; "there's straw down in the roadoutside, and they say that he's dying. Pore old Bill don't know 'is ownstrength. The best thing you can do, old pal, is to go as far away asyou can, at once."

  "I shouldn't wait a minnit if it was me," ses old Sam.

  Bill groaned and hid 'is face in his 'ands, and then Peter Russet wentand spoilt things by saying that the safest place for a murderer to 'idein was London. Bill gave a dreadful groan when 'e said murderer, but 'eup and agreed with Peter, and all Sam and Ginger Dick could do wouldn'tmake 'im alter his mind. He said that he would shave off 'is beard andmoustache, and when night came 'e would creep out and take a lodgingsomewhere right the other end of London.

  "It'll soon be dark," ses Ginger, "and your own brother wouldn't know younow, Bill. Where d'you think of going?"

  Bill shook his 'ead. "Nobody must know that, mate," he ses. "I must gointo hiding for as long as I can--as long as my money lasts; I've onlygot six pounds left."

  "That'll last a long time if you're careful," ses Ginger.

  "I want a lot more," ses Bill. "I want you to take this silver ring as akeepsake, Ginger. If I 'ad another six pounds or so I should feel muchsafer. 'Ow much 'ave you got, Ginger?"

  "Not much," ses Ginger, shaking his 'ead.

  "Lend it to me, mate," ses Bill, stretching out his 'and. "You can easyget another ship. Ah, I wish I was you; I'd be as 'appy as 'appy if Ihadn't got a penny."

  "I'm very sorry, Bill," ses Ginger, trying to smile, "but I've alreadypromised to lend it to a man wot we met this evening. A promise is apromise, else I'd lend it to