The Project Gutenberg EBook of Light Freights, by W. W. Jacobs

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Title: Light Freights

Author: W. W. Jacobs

Release Date: June 25, 2007 [EBook #21928]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIGHT FREIGHTS ***

Produced by David Widger

LIGHT FREIGHTS

By W. W. JACOBS

1901

TO MY SISTER AMY

[Illustration: Frontispiece]

[Illustration: Titlepage]

CONTENTS:

AN ODD FREAK

A GARDEN PLOT

PRIVATE CLOTHES

THE BULLY OF THE "CAVENDISH"

THE RESURRECTION OF MR. WIGGETT

A MARKED MAN

TO HAVE AND TO HOLD

BREVET RANK

TWIN SPIRITS

SAM'S BOY

JERRY BUNDLER

FALSE COLOURS

AN ODD FREAK

"Speaking o' money," said the night-watchman thoughtfully, as he
selected an empty soapbox on the wharf for a seat, "the whole world
would be different if we all 'ad more of it. It would be a brighter and
a 'appier place for everybody."

He broke off to open a small brass tobacco-box and place a little quid
of tobacco tenderly into a pouch in his left cheek, critically observing
at the same time the efforts of a somewhat large steamer to get
alongside the next wharf without blocking up more than three parts of
the river. He watched it as though the entire operation depended upon
his attention, and, the steamer fast, he turned his eyes back again and
resumed his theme.

"Of course it's the being short that sharpens people," he admitted
thoughtfully; "the sharpest man I ever knew never 'ad a ha'penny in 'is
pocket, and the ways 'e had o' getting other chaps to pay for 'is beer
would ha' made 'is fortin at the law if 'e'd only 'ad the eddication.
Playful little chap 'e was. I've seen men wot didn't know 'im stand 'im
a pot o' beer and then foller 'im up the road to see 'im knock down a
policeman as 'e'd promised. They'd foller 'im to the fust policeman 'e
met, an' then 'e'd point them out and say they were goin' to half kill
'im, an' the policeman 'ud just stroll up an' ask 'em wot they were
'anging about for, but I never 'eard of a chap telling 'im. They used to
go away struck all of a 'eap. He died in the accide