to do about it now.
"I tell you he's got the watch," ses the conjurer, pointing up at the
winder. "It went into 'is pocket. I saw it go. He was no more shot
than you were. If 'e was, why doesn't he send for the doctor?"
"I can't 'elp that," ses Dicky Weed. "I want my watch or else twenty
pounds."
"We'll talk it over in a day or two," ses the conjurer. "I'm giving my
celebrated entertainment at Wickham Fair on Monday, but I'll come back
'ere to the Cauliflower the Saturday before and give another
entertainment, and then we'll see wot's to be done. I can't run away,
because in any case I can't afford to miss the fair."
Dicky Weed gave way at last and went off 'ome to bed and told 'is wife
about it, and listening to 'er advice he got up at six o'clock in the
morning and went round to see 'ow Bob Pretty was.
Mrs. Pretty was up when 'e got there, and arter calling up the stairs to
Bob told Dicky Weed to go upstairs. Bob Pretty was sitting up in bed
with 'is face covered in bandages, and he seemed quite pleased to see
'im.
"It ain't everybody that ud get up at six o'clock to see 'ow I'm getting
on," he ses. "You've got a feeling 'art, Dicky."
Dicky Weed coughed and looked round, wondering whether the watch was in
the room, and, if so, where it was hidden.
"Now I'm 'ere I may as well tidy up the room for you a bit," he ses,
getting up. "I don't like sitting idle."
"Thankee, mate," ses Bob; and 'e lay still and watched Dicky Weed out of
the corner of the eye that wasn't covered with the bandages.
I don't suppose that room 'ad ever been tidied up so thoroughly since the
Prettys 'ad lived there, but Dicky Weed couldn't see anything o' the
watch, and wot made 'im more angry than anything else was Mrs. Pretty
setting down in a chair with 'er 'ands folded in her lap and pointing out
places that he 'adn't done.
"You leave 'im alone," ses Bob. "_He knows wot 'e's arter_. Wot did you
do with those little bits o' watch you found when you was bandaging me
up, missis?"
"Don't ask me," ses Mrs. Pretty. "I was in such a state I don't know wot
I was doing 'ardly."
"Well, they must be about somewhere," ses Bob. "You 'ave a look for 'em,
Dicky, and if you find 'em, keep 'em. They belong to you."
Dicky Weed tried to be civil and thank 'im, and then he went off 'ome and
talked it over with 'is wife agin. People couldn't make up their minds
whether Bob Pretty 'ad found the watch in 'is pocket and was
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