a shock, watchman," he ses.

"Oh!" I ses.

"A shock wot's shook me all up," he ses, working up a shiver. "I've seen
something wot I thought people never could see, and wot I never want to
see agin. I've seen Sam!"

I thought a bit afore I spoke. "Why, I thought he was drownded," I ses.

"So 'e is," ses Joe. "When I say I've seen 'im I mean that I 'ave seen
his ghost!"

He began to shiver agin, all over.

"Wot was it like?" I ses, very calm.

"Like Sam," he ses, rather short.

"When was it?" I ses.

"Last night at a quarter to twelve," he ses. "It was standing at my
front door waiting for me."

"And 'ave you been shivering like that ever since?" I ses.

"Worse than that," ses Joe, looking at me very 'ard. "It's wearing off
now. The ghost gave me a message for you."

I put my 'and in my trowsis-pocket and looked at 'im. Then I walked very
slow, towards the gate.

"It gave me a message for you," ses Joe, walking beside me. "'We was
always pals, Joe,'" it ses, "'you and me, and I want you to pay up
fifteen bob for me wot I borrowed off of Bill the watchman. I can't rest
until it's paid,' it ses. So here's the fifteen bob, watchman."

He put his 'and in 'is pocket and takes out fifteen bob and 'olds it out
to me.

"No, no," I ses. "I can't take your money, Joe Peel. It wouldn't be
right. Pore Sam is welcome to the fifteen bob--I don't want it."

"You must take it," ses Joe. "The ghost said if you didn't it would come
to me agin and agin till you did, and I can't stand any more of it."

"I can't 'elp your troubles," I ses.

"You must," ses Joe. "'Give Bill the fifteen bob,' it ses, 'and he'll
give you a gold watch and chain wot I gave 'im to mind till it was
paid.'"

I see his little game then. "Gold watch and chain," I ses, laughing.
"You must ha' misunderstood it, Joe."

"I understood it right enough," ses Joe, getting a bit closer to me as I
stepped outside the gate. "Here's your fifteen bob; are you going to
give me that watch and chain?"

"Sartainly not," I ses. "I don't know wot you mean by a watch and chain.
If I 'ad it and I gave it to anybody, I should give it to Sam's widder,
not to you."

"It's nothing to do with 'er," ses Joe, very quick. "Sam was most
pertikler about that."

"I expect you dreamt it all," I ses. "Where would pore Sam get a gold
watch and chain from? And why should 'e go to you about it? Why didn't
'e come to me? If 'e thinks I 'ave got it let