y clapping my hand upon my pocket,
when, with a grin of satisfaction, he tore my hand away, thrust in his
great fingers, and dragged it out, spat on the various coins, and thrust
them in his own pocket.

"What d'yer say?" he cried, bending down again towards me.

"The police shall make you give that up," I panted.

"Says we're to spend this here in beer, mates," he said, grinning, while
the woman stood with her eyes half shut and her arms folded, looking on.

The two men at the door laughed.

"Now, then," said the big fellow, "since he's come out genteel-like with
his money, I don't think I'll give him the knife this time. Get up with
yer, and be off while your shoes are good."

He took his great boot off my chest, and I started up.

"I wouldn't give much for yer," he growled, "if yer showed yer face here
agen."

He accompanied this with such a menacing look that I involuntarily
shrank away, but recovering myself directly I seized the coil of rope
and made for the door.

"What!" roared the great ruffian, snatching the rope, and, as I held on
to it, dragging me back. "Trying to steal, are you?"

"It's mine--it's ours," I cried passionately.

"Oh! I'll soon let yer know about that," he cried. "Look here, mates;
this is our rope, ain't it?"

"Yes," said one of them: "I'll swear to it."

"It's mine," I cried, tugging at it angrily.

"Let go, will yer--d'yer hear; let go."

He tugged and snatched at it savagely, and just then the boy leaped upon
me, butting at me, and striking with all his might, infuriating me so by
his cowardly attack, that, holding on to the rope with one hand, I swung
round my doubled fist with the other and struck him with all my might.

It must have been a heavy blow right in the face, for he staggered back,
caught against a chair, and then fell with a crash, howling dismally.

"Look at that, now," cried the big ruffian. "Now he shall have it."

"Serves him right!" said the woman passionately.

"Let the boy go, Ned, or you'll get into trouble."

"I'll get into trouble for something then," cried the fellow savagely,
as he hurt me terribly by jerking the rope out of my hand and catching
me by the collar, when I saw the two men at the open door look round,
and I heard a familiar growl on the stairs that made my heart leap with
joy.

"Ike!--Here!--Ike!" I shouted with all my might.

"Hold yer row," hissed the great ruffian in a hoarse whisper, and
clapping one hand behind m