The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Tiger's Skin, by W.W. Jacobs

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Title: A Tiger's Skin
The Lady of the Barge and Others, Part 8.

Author: W.W. Jacobs

Release Date: April 22, 2004 [EBook #12128]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TIGER'S SKIN ***

Produced by David Widger

THE LADY OF THE BARGE

AND OTHER STORIES

By W. W. Jacobs

A TIGER'S SKIN

The travelling sign-painter who was repainting the sign of the
"Cauliflower" was enjoying a well-earned respite from his labours. On
the old table under the shade of the elms mammoth sandwiches and a large
slice of cheese waited in an untied handkerchief until such time as his
thirst should be satisfied. At the other side of the table the oldest
man in Claybury, drawing gently at a long clay pipe, turned a dim and
regretful eye up at the old signboard.

"I've drunk my beer under it for pretty near seventy years," he said,
with a sigh. "It's a pity it couldn't ha' lasted my time."

The painter, slowly pushing a wedge of sandwich into his mouth, regarded
him indulgently.

"It's all through two young gentlemen as was passing through 'ere a month
or two ago," continued the old man; "they told Smith, the landlord,
they'd been looking all over the place for the 'Cauliflower,' and when
Smith showed 'em the sign they said they thought it was the 'George the
Fourth,' and a very good likeness, too."

The painter laughed and took another look at the old sign; then, with the
nervousness of the true artist, he took a look at his own. One or two
shadows--

He flung his legs over the bench and took up his brushes. In ten minutes
the most fervent loyalist would have looked in vain for any resemblance,
and with a sigh at the pitfalls which beset the artist he returned to his
interrupted meal and hailed the house for more beer.

"There's nobody could mistake your sign for anything but a cauliflower,"
said the old man; "it looks good enough to eat."

The painter smiled and pushed his mug across the table. He was a tender-
hearted man, and once--when painting the sign of the "Sir Wilfrid
Lawson"--knew himself what it was to lack beer.