第219章

`There's all sorts of different ways of gettin' a livin',' remarked Sawkins, after a pause.`I read in a paper the other day about a bloke wot goes about lookin' for open trap doors and cellar flaps in front of shops.As soon as he spotted one open, he used to go and fall down in it; and then he'd be took to the 'orspital, and when he got better he used to go and threaten to bring a action against the shop-keeper and get damages, and most of 'em used to part up without goin' in front of the judge at all.But one day a slop was a watchin'

of 'im, and seen 'im chuck 'isself down one, and when they picked 'im up they found he'd broke his leg.So they took 'im to the 'orspital and when he came out and went round to the shop and started talkin'

about bringin' a action for damages, the slop collared 'im and they give 'im six months.'

`Yes, I read about that,' said Harlow, `and there was another case of a chap who was run over by a motor, and they tried to make out as 'e put 'isself in the way on purpose; but 'e got some money out of the swell it belonged to; a 'undered pound I think it was.'

`I only wish as one of their motors would run inter me,' said Philpot, making a feeble attempt at a joke.`I lay I'd get some a' me own back out of 'em.'

The others laughed, and Harlow was about to make some reply but at that moment a cyclist appeared coming down the hill from the direction of the job.It was Nimrod, so they resumed their journey once more and presently Hunter shot past on his machine without taking any notice of them...

When they arrived they found that Rushton had not been there at all, but Nimrod had.Crass said that he had kicked up no end of a row because they had not called at the yard at six o'clock that morning for the ladder, instead of going for it after breakfast - making two journeys instead of one, and he had also been ratty because the big gable had not been started the first thing that morning.

They carried the ladder into the garden and laid it on the ground along the side of the house where the gable was.A brick wall about eight feet high separated the grounds of `The Refuge' from those of the premises next door.Between this wall and the side wall of the house was a space about six feet wide and this space formed a kind of alley or lane or passage along the side of the house.They laid the ladder on the ground along this passage, the `foot' was placed about half-way through; just under the centre of the gable, and as it lay there, the other end of the ladder reached right out to the front railings.

Next, it was necessary that two men should go up into the attic - the window of which was just under the point of the gable - and drop the end of a long rope down to the others who would tie it to the top of the ladder.Then two men would stand on the bottom rung, so as to keep the `foot' down, and the three others would have to raise the ladder up, while the two men up in the attic hauled on the rope.

They called Bundy and his mate Ned Dawson to help, and it was arranged that Harlow and Crass should stand on the foot because they were the heaviest.Philpot, Bundy, and Barrington were to `raise', and Dawson and Sawkins were to go up to the attic and haul on the rope.

`Where's the rope?' asked Crass.

The others looked blankly at him.None of them had thought of bringing one from the yard.

`Why, ain't there one 'ere?' asked Philpot.

`One 'ere? Of course there ain't one 'ere!' snarled Crass.`Do you mean to say as you ain't brought one, then?'

Philpot stammered out something about having thought there was one at the house already, and the others said they had not thought about it at all.

`Well, what the bloody hell are we to do now?' cried Crass, angrily.

`I'll go to the yard and get one,' suggested Barrington.`I can do it in twenty minutes there and back.'

`Yes! and a bloody fine row there'd be if Hunter was to see you! 'Ere it's nearly ten o'clock and we ain't made a start on this gable wot we ought to 'ave started first thing this morning.'

`Couldn't we tie two or three of those short ropes together?'

suggested Philpot.`Those that the other two ladders was spliced with?'

As there was sure to be a row if they delayed long enough to send to the yard, it was decided to act on Philpot's suggestion.

Several of the short ropes were accordingly tied together but upon examination it was found that some parts were so weak that even Crass had to admit it would be dangerous to attempt to haul the heavy ladder up with them.

`Well, the only thing as I can see for it,' he said, `is that the boy will 'ave to go down to the yard and get the long rope.It won't do for anyone else to go: there's been one row already about the waste of time because we didn't call at the yard for the ladder at six o'clock.'

Bert was down in the basement of the house limewashing a cellar.

Crass called him up and gave him the necessary instructions, chief of which was to get back again as soon as ever he could.The boy ran off, and while they were waiting for him to come back the others went on with their several jobs.Philpot returned to the small gable he had been painting before breakfast, which he had not quite finished.

As he worked a sudden and unaccountable terror took possession of him.

He did not want to do that other gable; he felt too ill; and he almost resolved that he would ask Crass if he would mind letting him do something else.There were several younger men who would not object to doing it - it would be mere child's play to them, and Barrington had already - yesterday - offered to change jobs with him.

But then, when he thought of what the probable consequences would be, he hesitated to take that course, and tried to persuade himself that he would be able to get through with the work all right.He did not want Crass or Hunter to mark him as being too old for ladder work.