The Broad Highway

"Sir, I trust you are not hurt?" said I.

"Thank you," he answered, his glance still wandering, "not in the

least--assure you--merely tap on the nose, sir--unpleasant--damnably,

but no more, no more."

"I think," said I, holding out the battered hat, "I think this is

yours?"

His eye encountering it in due time, he reached out his hand

somewhat fumblingly, and took it from me with a slight movement

of the head and shoulders that might have been a bow.

"Thank you--yes--should know it among a thousand," said he

dreamily, "an old friend and a tried--a very much tried one--many

thanks." With which words he clapped the much-tried friend upon

his head, and with another movement that might have been a bow,

turned short round and strode away. And as he went, despite the

careless swing of his shoulder, his legs seemed to falter somewhat

in their stride and once I thought he staggered; yet, as I watched,

half minded to follow after him, he settled his hat more firmly

with a light tap upon the crown and, thrusting his hands into the

pockets of his threadbare coat, fell to whistling lustily, and so,

turning a bend in the road, vanished from my sight.

And presently, my thirst recurring to me, I approached the inn,

and descending three steps entered its cool shade. Here I found

four men, each with his pipe and tankard, to whom a large,

red-faced, big-fisted fellow was holding forth in a high state of

heat and indignation.

"Wot's England a-comin' to?--that's wot I wants to know," he was

saying; "wot's England a-comin' to when thievin' robbers can come

a-walkin' in on you a-stealin' a pint o' your best ale out o' your

very own tankard under your very own nose--wot's it a-comin' to?"

"Ah!" nodded the others solemnly, "that's it, Joel--wot?"

"W'y," growled the red-faced innkeeper, bringing his big fist

down with a bang, "it's a-comin' to per--dition; that's wot it's

a-comin' to!"

"And wot," inquired a rather long, bony man with a face half-hidden

in sandy whisker, "wot might per--dition be, Joel; likewise, wheer?"

"You must be a danged fule, Tom, my lad!" retorted he whom they

called Joel, redder in the face than ever.

"Ay, that ye must!" chorused the others.

"I only axed 'wot an' wheer."

"Only axed, did ye?" repeated Joel scornfully, "Ah," nodded the other, "that's all."