George got up, put his head out of the window, and saw two or three snow-covered figures down below.
"Whatever dun yo want, chaps, at this time o' neet?" he called out.
"George, yo're wanted down at th' Dragon yonder, first thing!" One of them shouted back in reply:
"What's th' matter theer?" asked George.
"There's about twenty on 'em yonder feighting o' of a rook, an' if thae doesn't look sharp and come down and sunder 'em, they'll be one hauve on 'em kilt!"
But George was not to be caught as easily as they imagined; he saw through the trick that was attempted to be played on him, and, ruminating for a moment, answered:
"I'll tell yo what yo maun do, chaps."
"What maun we do? What maun we do, George?" they asked.
"Go yor ways back to th' Dragon," said George, "an' lay 'em out on th' tables, as money on 'em as gets kilt, an' i' th' morning I'll come down an' count 'em," and with that he crashed the window down again, leaving the discomfited jokers to find their way back to the bar-parlour of the Dragon as best they might.