"I declare, you're the rummest pair of fellows I've ever seen," he returned; and he looked after us curiously as we got off the train at Durham.
Here we gave the vagabonds a wide berth, on account of smallpox; three tramps had been taken out of a kip-house that very day; so after a night's rest we moved on to Newcastle, stopping for a few hours on the way at the dirtiest kip that we found in England. One of the inmates, a powerful poser as a bully, was terrorizing an old man.
"I say, granddad, get me a light, will you? Be sharp, now!"
Old Man. I'm too rheumatizin'-like. Caan't you get it yerself?
Bully. Naw, I caan't. I waant you to get it. Hustle, now!
Old Man. I sha'an't do it. I ain't yer Hi Tittle Ti-Ti, an' I waant you to rec'lect it, too.
Bully. See here, pop; what date is to-day?
Old Man. Fifth of March.
Bully. Well, pop, just twelve months ago to-day I killed a man. So look out!
The old man brought the light.