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“They went down agin to the pub that evening, and Ginger, who said ‘e was curious to see, wanted to go too. Sam, who still ‘ad ‘opes of ‘im, wouldn’t ‘ear of it, but at last it was arranged that ‘e wasn’t to go inside, but should take a peep through the door. They got on a tram at Ald-gate, and Ginger didn’t like it becos Sam and Peter talked it over between theirselves in whispers and pointed out likely red’-aired men in the road.

“And ‘e didn’t like it when they got to the Blue Lion, and Sam and Peter went in and left ‘im outside, peeping through the door. The landlady shook ‘ands with them quite friendly, and the barmaid, a fine-looking girl, seemed to take a lot o’ notice of Peter. Ginger waited about outside for nearly a couple of hours, and at last they came out, talking and larfing, with Peter wearing a white rose wot the barmaid ‘ad given ‘im.

“Ginger Dick ‘ad a good bit to say about keeping ‘im waiting all that time, but Sam said that they’d been getting valuable information, an’ the more ‘e could see of it the easier the job appeared to be, an’ then him an’ Peter wished for to bid Ginger good-bye, while they went and ‘unted up a red-‘aired friend o’ Peter’s named Charlie Bates.

“They all went in somewhere and ‘ad a few drinks first, though, and arter a time Ginger began to see things in a different light to wot ‘e ‘ad before, an’ to be arf ashamed of ‘is selfishness, and ‘e called Sam’s pot a loving-cup, an’ kep’ on drinking out of it to show there was no ill-feeling, although Sam kep’ telling him there wasn’t. Then Sam spoke up about tattooing agin, and Ginger said that every man in the country ought to be tattooed to prevent the smallpox. He got so excited about it that old Sam ‘ad to promise ‘im that he should be tattooed that very night, before he could pacify ‘im.

“They all went off ‘ome with their arms round each other’s necks, but arter a time Ginger found that Sam’s neck wasn’t there, an’ ‘e stopped and spoke serious to Peter about it. Peter said ‘e couldn’t account for it, an’ ‘e had such a job to get Ginger ‘ome that ‘e thought they would never ha’ got there. He got ‘im to bed at last an’ then ‘e sat down and fell asleep waiting for Sam.

“Ginger was the last one to wake up in the morning, an’ before ‘e woke he kept making a moaning noise. His ‘ead felt as though it was going to bust, ‘is tongue felt like a brick, and ‘is chest was so sore ‘e could ‘ardly breathe. Then at last ‘e opened ‘is eyes and looked up and saw Sam an’ Peter and a little man with a black moustache.

“‘Cheer up, Ginger,’ ses Sam, in a kind voice, ‘it’s going on beautiful.’

“‘My ‘ead’s splittin’,’ ses Ginger, with a groan, ‘an’ I’ve got pins an’ needles all over my chest.’

“‘Needles,’ ses the man with the black moustache. ‘I never use pins; they’d pison the flesh.’

“Ginger sat up in bed and stared at ‘im; then ‘e bent ‘is ‘ead down and squinted at ‘is chest, and next moment ‘e was out of bed and all three of ’em was holding ‘im down on the floor to prevent ‘im breaking the tattooer’s neck which ‘e’d set ‘is ‘eart upon doing, and explaining to ‘im that the tattooer was at the top of ‘is profession, and that it was only by a stroke of luck ‘e had got ‘im. And Sam reminded ‘im of wot ‘e ‘ad said the night before, and said he’d live to thank ‘im for it.

“”Ow much is there done?’ ses Ginger, at last, in a desprit voice.

“Sam told ‘im, and Ginger lay still and called the tattooer all the names he could think of; which took ‘im some time.