The boy was not much more than fifteen yards away.
A word of advice occurred to Billy. He did not turn. He was then within a dozen strokes of the little pan.
He shouted:
"Give un a tune!"
Teddy Brisk dropped his crutch, fumbled in his waistcoat pocket, whipped out his mouth organ, clapped it to his lips, and blew a lively air:
Lukie's boat was painted green,
The finest boat that ever was seen;
Lukie's boat had cotton sails,
A juniper rudder and galvanized nails.
And he so profoundly astonished the dogs with these sudden, harmonious sounds, accompanied by the jerky movement of a crippled leg, designed to resemble a dance, and in itself shockingly suspicious—so profoundly astonished the dogs that they paused to reconsider the matter in hand.
It was startling. They sat up. Aha! What was this? What did it portend?
And the little boy wheezed away: