“You be off,” I ses, starting to shut the wicket. “You won’t get no tanner out of me.”
“All right,” he ses, “I shall stand here and go on ringing the bell till you pay up, that’s all.”
He gave it another tug, and the policeman instead of locking ’im up for it stood there laughing.
I gave ’im the tanner. It was no use standing there arguing over a tanner, with a purse of twelve quid waiting for me in the dock, but I told ’im wot people thought of ’im.
“Arf a second, watchman,” ses the policeman, as I started to shut the wicket agin. “You didn’t see anything of that pickpocket, did you?”
“I did not,” I ses.
“’Cos this gentleman thought he might ’ave come in here,” ses the policeman.
“’Ow could he ’ave come in here without me knowing it?” I ses, firing up.
“Easy,” ses the landlord, “and stole your boots into the bargain!”
“He might ’ave come when your back was turned,” ses the policeman, “and if so, he might be ’iding there now. I wonder whether you’d mind me having a look round?”