Part 18 (1/2)

So Hogarth grew loud; and the warder, presently rousing his drowsy bulk, unlocked the gate of that compartment, as Hogarth said to himself: ”Do it handy...”

And as the warder stooped, Hogarth clapped the rag upon his mouth and nose. A struggle followed a m.u.f.fled sob, both standing upright now, till the warder began to paw the air, sank, toppled upon the bed, whereupon Hogarth slipped into the blanket again, and called out in the voice of the warder: ”Come here, Barrows--see if this man is dead ”.

He had now drawn the warder over him, holding up his chest with one arm, had also poured chloroform upon the rag, and when the convict-orderly came, Hogarth, by means of a short struggle, had him asleep, then seized the warder's truncheon and keys, and ran out in his stockinged feet.

At that sight, the sick, the dying, the two rows of stretchers, were up on elbow, gazing with grins. To the second convict-orderly who came running to meet him Hogarth hissed: ”Not a word--or I brain you with this! If I tie your feet, you won't have to answer for anything. Come along....”

He was an old fellow, and when he realized the impending truncheon, the menace of Hogarth's eyes, and the silence of the warder, he permitted himself to be dragged toward Hogarth's stretcher; and his feet were quickly knotted in his own stockings.

Now again Hogarth ran: but not many steps, when he felt himself tapped on the back, and, glancing in a horror of alarm, saw one of the two patients who had occupied with him his cage of bars--a wiry, long-faced c.o.c.kney shop-boy, who had had his ankle crushed by a rock at the quarry.

”Are you off?” he asked.

”That's _my_ business--”

”No, you don't. Part, or I give the alarm”.

”What is it? Do you want to come with me?”

”That's about it”.

”But--your foot's sick, you fool”.

”You'll carry me in your awms, as a father beareth his children....”

”You are cool! What are you in for?”

”Murder, my son-red, grim, gory murder!”

”Guilty?”

”Guilty, ya'as. What do _you_ think?”

”Then you may go to h.e.l.l”.

”_'Ell_ is it? I'm _there_: and if I linger longer loo in it, you linger, too, swelp me Gawd!”

Hogarth was nonplussed.

”But the foot...”

”Never mind the _foot_. Foot's still good for a run. Do we go shares?”

”Come along, then”.

”But you ain't 'alf up to snuff, I can see, though you are pretty smart in your own way: I'd 'ave felt the confidence of a son in you, if you 'adn't overlooked that wine--”

To Hogarth's dismay, he turned back to the table, put a black bottle, half full, to his lips, and with tilts anc stoppages set to gulp it, while eager jokes, touched with jealousy, began to jeer from the beds.

”Lawd Gawd, that was good!” said the c.o.c.kney with upturned eyes, ”and what do I behold?--broth, ye gawds!”