and put 'is knee in my back and caught me by the throat, and the other
gave me a punch in the chest, and while I was gasping for breath took my
purse away. Then I started on 'em."

"Lor'!" ses Ginger, very nasty.

"I fought like a lion," ses Sam. "Twice they 'ad me down, and twice I
got up agin and hammered 'em. They both of 'em 'ad knives, but my blood
was up, and I didn't take no more notice of 'em than if they was made of
paper. I knocked 'em both out o' their hands, and if I hit 'em in the
face once I did a dozen times. I surprised myself."

"You surprise me," ses Ginger.

"All of a sudden," ses Sam, "they see they 'ad got to do with a man wot
didn't know wot fear was, and they turned round and ran off as hard as
they could run. You ought to ha' been there, Ginger. You'd 'ave enjoyed
it."

Ginger Dick didn't answer 'im. Having to sit still and listen to all
them lies without being able to say anything nearly choked 'im. He sat
there gasping for breath.

"O' course, you got your purse back in the fight, Sam?" ses Peter.

"No, mate," ses Sam. "I ain't going to tell you no lies--I did not."

"And 'ow are you going to live, then, till you get a ship, Sam?" ses
Ginger, in a nasty voice. "You won't get nothing out o' me, so you
needn't think it."