something ought to be done, but before we could think of anything to do
something 'appened.

"We was sitting up 'ere one evening 'aving a mug o' beer and a pipe--same
as I might be now if I'd got any baccy left--and talking about it, when
we 'eard a shout and saw a ragged-looking tramp running toward us as 'ard
as he could run. Every now and then he'd look over 'is shoulder and give
a shout, and then run 'arder than afore.

"'It's the tiger!' ses Bill Chambers, and afore you could wink a'most he
was inside the house, 'aving first upset Smith and a pot o' beer in the
doorway.

"Before he could get up, Smith 'ad to wait till we was all in. His
langwidge was awful for a man as 'ad a license to lose, and everybody
shouting 'Tiger!' as they trod on 'im didn't ease 'is mind. He was
inside a'most as soon as the last man, though, and in a flash he 'ad the
door bolted just as the tramp flung 'imself agin it, all out of breath
and sobbing 'is hardest to be let in.

"'Open the door,' he ses, banging on it.

"'Go away,' ses Smith.

"'It's the tiger,' screams the tramp; 'open the door.'

"'You go away,' ses Smith, 'you're attracting it to my place; run up the
road and draw it off.'"

"Just at that moment John Biggs, the blacksmith, come in from the