"You've got a
lass there as I likes the looks on; pull up, d'ye hear! Look at the
shape of 'er!" quoth he, pointing out Diana to his companions. "A tidy
piece--eh, my bucks an' pippins?"
Here rose an answering chorus of laughing profanity and worse, amongst
which I caught the words, "Pretty filly!" "A dainty tit!" "A kiss all
round, Tom! Share an' share, Tom!" "Oho, Tinker, pull an' be damned t'
ye!"
Instead of complying, Jeremy touched the pony to faster pace and with
a jingling clash of tinware we bore down upon this lewd-tongued
company which, howling obscenity, scattered promptly right and
left--all except the big man Tom who, with a dexterous leap, caught
the rein, jerking and wrenching at the bit with hand so cruelly strong
that the poor animal reared up, snorting with fright and pain and the
cart came to a lurching standstill.
"Didn't ye hear me tell ye to pull up?" demanded the man Tom,
scowling. "When I says a thing, I means it. And now, first of all I
wants a kiss from the gal an' then--"
"Stand off, ye vermin!" quoth Jeremy and, reaching down beneath the
seat, whipped out a long-barrelled pistol and levelled it full into
Tom's big, evil face, whereupon my trembling hand loosed the saucepan
I had clutched as a weapon and I stared from the tense features of the
two men to the calm, coldly contemptuous face of Diana. Then spake
Jessamy Todd:
"All right, Jerry! Put up your barker; here's where I climb into the
ring for a round wi' Old Nick," and taking off his frayed hat he sent
it spinning through the air to the big man's feet, who promptly kicked
it into the ditch.
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