“Yes; there are plenty about,” replied Tom.
“Know that better than you do.”
“I dare say you do,” said Tom good-humouredly, as he watched the unpleasant looks directed at him, the fellow’s whole aspect being such as we read was assumed by the wolf who sought an excuse for eating the lamb.
All the same, though, Tom’s aspect partook more of the good-humoured bulldog than that of the lamb; though Pete kept to his character well, and more and more showed that he was working himself up for a quarrel.
“Yah!” he exclaimed suddenly, after edging himself up pretty closely, and with his hands still in his pockets, thrusting out his lower jaw, and leaning forward stared over his raised shoulder at Tom. “Yah! I feel as if I could half smash yer!”
“Do you?” said Tom quietly.
“Yes, I do. Don’t you get a-mocking me. Ain’t yer feared?”
“No,” said Tom quietly, “not a bit. Have sixpence?”
Pete stared, and leaned over out of the perpendicular, so as to get his face closer to Tom’s. “Whort say?”
“Will you have sixpence?” said Tom, thrusting his right hand into his pocket, and withdrawing the above coin.