CHAPTER V

TEMPORARY EMBARRASSMENTS OF A THESPIAN.


"_Sinner that I am," said the Showman, "see how you are destroying and
ruining my whole livelihood!_"--DON QUIXOTE.

Mr. Sam Bossom, having poled back to the towpath, stepped ashore, made
fast his bow moorings, stood and watched the two childish figures as
they passed up the last slope of the garden out of sight, and proceeded
to deliver his remaining hundredweights of coal--first, however, peering
down the manhole and listening, to assure himself that all was quiet
below.

"If," said he thoughtfully, "a man was to come an' tell me a story like
that, I'd call 'im a liar."

Twice or thrice before finishing his job he paused to listen again, but
heard nothing. Still in musing mood, he scraped up the loose coal that
lay around the manhole, shovelled it in, re-fixed the cover, and tossed
his shovel on board. His next business was to fetch a horse from the
stables at the Canal End and tow the boat back to her quarters; and
having taken another glance around, he set off and up the towpath at a
pretty brisk pace. It would be five o'clock before he finished his
work: at six he had an engagement, and it would take him some time to
wash and titivate.