back to 'elp you. And I wouldn't 'ave waited to be asked neither."

He stood there for a minute very sorrowful, and then 'e patted both their
'eads and went downstairs. Ginger and Peter lay listening for a bit, and
then they turned their pore bound-up faces to each other and tried to
talk with their eyes.

Then Ginger began to wriggle and try and twist the cords off, but 'e
might as well 'ave tried to wriggle out of 'is skin. The worst of it was
they couldn't make known their intentions to each other, and when Peter
Russet leaned over 'im and tried to work 'is gag off by rubbing it up
agin 'is nose, Ginger pretty near went crazy with temper. He banged
Peter with his 'ead, and Peter banged back, and they kept it up till
they'd both got splitting 'eadaches, and at last they gave up in despair
and lay in the darkness waiting for Sam.

And all this time Sam was sitting in the Red Lion, waiting for them. He
sat there quite patient till twelve o'clock and then walked slowly 'ome,
wondering wot 'ad happened and whether Bill had gone.

Ginger was the fust to 'ear 'is foot on the stairs, and as he came into
the room, in the darkness, him an' Peter Russet started shaking their bed
in a way that scared old Sam nearly to death. He thought it was Bill
carrying on agin, and 'e was out o' that door and 'arf-way downstairs
afore he stopped to take breath. He stood there trembling for about ten
minutes, and then, as nothing 'appened, he walked slowly upstairs agin on
tiptoe, and as soon as they heard the door creak Peter and Ginger made
that bed do everything but speak.

"Is that you, Bill?" ses old Sam, in a shaky voice, and standing ready