"Ever 'ear tell of a copper boiler?" he inquired pleasantly.

"Ever meet a bleedin' bastard as put the cops on a bloke, an' got 'im
three months' 'ard?" he inquired again.

The bricklayer stared at him open-mouthed, surprised and alarmed by the
appearance of this misshapen devil with the glittering eyes. Then a
sudden suspicion ran through the fuddled brain.

"I niver lagged 'im; s'elp me Gawd, I niver put nobody away to the cops!"
he cried.

"Yer rotten liar, take that!" cried Jonah, and struck him full on the
mouth with his fist. The man clapped his hand to his cut lip, and looked
at the blood in amazement. The shock cleared his brain, and he remembered
with terror the tales of deadly revenge taken by the pushes. He looked
wildly for help. He was in a ring of mocking, menacing faces.

"Let 'im out," cried Jonah, in a sharp, strident voice. "The swine lives
about 'ere; give 'im a run for 'is money."

The Push opened out, and the man, sobered by his danger, stood for a
moment with bewildered eyes. Then, with the instinct of the hunted,
he turned for home and ran. The Push gave chase, with Chook in the lead.
Again and again the quarry turned, blindly seeking refuge in the
darkest lanes.

As his pursuers gained on him he gave a hoarse scream--the dolorous cry
of a hunted animal.