"Good night," ses the policeman, moving off. "Good night, dear," ses the landlord. "Mind you tuck yourself up warm."
I lost my temper for the moment and afore I knew wot I was doing I 'ad got hold of him and was shoving 'im towards the gate as 'ard as I could shove. He pretty near got my coat off in the struggle, and next moment the police-man 'ad turned his lantern on me and they was both staring at me as if they couldn't believe their eyesight.
"He—he's turning black!" ses the landlord.
"He's turned black!" ses the policeman.
They both stood there looking at me with their mouths open, and then afore I knew wot he was up to, the policeman came close up to me and scratched my chest with his finger-nail.
"It's mud!" he ses.
"You keep your nails to yourself," I ses. "It's nothing to do with you." and I couldn't 'elp noticing the smell of it. Nobody could. And wot was worse than all was, that the tide 'ad turned and was creeping over the mud in the dock.
They got tired of it at last and came back to where I was and stood there shaking their 'eads at me.
"If he was on the wharf 'e must 'ave made his escape while you was in the Bear's Head," ses the policeman.
"He was in my place a long time," ses the landlord.