the fire."

"Wot?" screams Dicky Weed. "Now you've been and spoilt everything!"

"Speak English," ses Bill.

"I will!" ses Dicky, trembling all over with temper. "Who asked you to
put it on the fire? Who asked you to put yourself forward? I see it all
now, and it's too late."

"Wot's too late?" ses Sam Tones.

"When Bob Pretty put his 'and in that bag," ses Dicky Weed, holding up
'is finger and looking at them, "he'd got a bit o' paper already in it--a
bit o' paper with the figger I on it. That's 'ow he done it. While we
was all watching Mr. Smith, he was getting 'is own bit o' paper ready."

He 'ad to say it three times afore they understood 'im, and then they
went down on their knees and burnt their fingers picking up bits o' paper
that 'ad fallen in the fireplace. They found six pieces in all, but not
one with the number they was looking for on it, and then they all got up
and said wot ought to be done to Bob Pretty.

"You can't do anything," ses Smith, the landlord. "You can't prove it.
After all, it's only Dicky's idea."

Arf-a-dozen of 'em all began speaking at once, but Bill Chambers gave 'em
the wink, and pretended to agree with 'im.

"We're going to have that hamper back," he ses, as soon as Mr. Smith 'ad
gone back to the bar, "but it won't do to let 'im know. He don't like to
think that Bob Pretty was one too many for 'im."

"Let's all go to Bob Pretty's and take it," ses Peter Gubbins, wot 'ad
been in the Militia.

Dicky Weed shook his 'ead. "He'd 'ave the lor on us for robbery," he
ses; "there's nothing he'd like better."

They talked it over till closing-time, but nobody seemed to know wot to
do, and they stood outside in the bitter cold for over arf an hour still
trying to make up their minds 'ow to get that hamper back. Fust one went
off 'ome and then another, and at last, when there was on'y three or four
of 'em left, Henery Walker, wot prided himself on 'is artfulness, 'ad an
idea.

"One of us must get Bob Pretty up 'ere to-morrow night and stand 'im a
pint, or p'r'aps two pints," he ses. "While he's here two other chaps
must 'ave a row close by his 'ouse and pretend to fight. Mrs. Pretty and
the young 'uns are sure to run out to look at it, and while they are out
another chap can go in quiet-like and get the hamper."

It seemed a wunnerful good idea, and Bill Chambers said so; and 'e
flattered Henery Walker up until Henery didn't know where to look, as the
saying is.

"