"Who stole yer noo rope!" cried the fellow, giving me another shake;
"what d'yer mean?"
"He took our rope off the cart in Covent Garden this morning," I cried,
feeling angry now.
"Why, he ain't been out o' the court this morning," said the fellow
sharply; "have yer, Micky?"
"No, father," said the boy.
"Jest up, ain't he, missus?" continued my captor, turning to the
heavy-eyed woman.
"Yes, just up," said the woman in a low mechanical voice, and then with
more animation, "Let him go, Ned."
"You mind yer own business," said the fellow savagely; then to me, "Now,
then, d'yer hear that?"
"I don't care; he did," I said firmly. "He stole our rope--that's it,
you give it me directly."
"What! that?" he cried. "You're a nice un, you are. Why, that's my
rope, as 'longs to my donnerkey-cart. Don't you come lying here."
"I tell you that's our rope, and I saw him steal it," I cried, growing
stronger now. "You let me go, and give me my rope, or I'll tell the
police."
"Why, you never had no rope, yer young liar!" he cried.
"It's my master's rope," I said, struggling to get free. "I will have
it."
"What! yer'd steal it, would yer? Yer'd tell the polliss, would yer!"
growled the fellow, tightening his grip; "I'll soon see about that.
Here you, Micky, bring that there rope here."
The boy struggled to his feet, and came slowly to us with the rope,
which the man scanned eagerly.
"I don't want to make no mistakes," he growled. "Let's see it. If it's
your rope, you shall have it, but--now then! d'yer hear?"
This was to the boy, who took advantage of my helpless position to give
me a couple of savage kicks in the leg as he stood there; but as he had
no shoes on, the kicks did not do much harm.
"Why, o' course it is our rope," growled the fellow. "Gahn with you,
what d'yer mean by coming here with a tale like that?"
He gave me a shake, and the woman interfered.
"Let him go, Ned," she said, "or ther'll be a row."
The man took one hand from my shoulder, and doubled his great fist,
which he held close to the woman's face in a menacing way. Then turning
sharply he made believe to strike me with all his might right in the
mouth, when, as I flinched, he growled out with a savage grin: "Ah! yer know'd yer deserved it. Now I dunno whether I'm going to keep
yer here, or whether I shall let yer go; but whichever I does, don't you
go a sweering that this here's your rope, a cause it's mine. D'yer
hear, mine?"