ODD CRAFT

By W. W. JACOBS

Illustrated by Will Owen

1911


CONTENTS

[THE MONEY-BOX]
[THE CASTAWAY]
[BLUNDELL’S IMPROVEMENT]
[BILL’S LAPSE]
[LAWYER QUINCE]
[BREAKING A SPELL]
[ESTABLISHING RELATIONS]
[THE CHANGING NUMBERS]
[THE PERSECUTION OF BOB PRETTY]
[DIXON’S RETURN]
[A SPIRIT OF AVARICE]
[THE THIRD STRING]
[ODD CHARGES]
[ADMIRAL PETERS]

ILLUSTRATIONS

[“SAILORMEN ARE NOT GOOD ’ANDS AT SAVING MONEY AS A RULE.”]
[“‘I AIN’T HIT A MAN FOR FIVE YEARS,’ ’E SES, STILL DANCING UP AND DOWN.”]
[“‘WOT’S THIS FOR?’ SES GINGER.”]
[“THEY PUT OLD ISAAC’S CLOTHES UP FOR FIFTEEN SHILLINGS.”]
[“OLD ISAAC KEPT ’EM THERE FOR THREE DAYS.”]
[“MRS. JOHN BOXER STOOD AT THE DOOR OF THE SHOP WITH HER HANDS CLASPED ON HER APRON.”]
[“‘WELL, LOOK ’ERE,’ SAID MR. BOXER, ‘I’VE TOLD YOU MY STORY AND I’VE GOT WITNESSES TO PROVE IT.’”]
[“THERE IS SOMETHING FORMING OVER YOU.”]
[“AH! WHAT IS THIS? A PIECE OF WRECKAGE WITH A MONKEY CLINGING TO IT?”]
[“‘HAVE YOU LEFT ANYTHING INSIDE THAT YOU WANT?’ SHE INQUIRED.”]
[“‘YOU VILLAIN!’ CRIED MRS. GIMPSON, VIOLENTLY. ‘I ALWAYS DISTRUSTED YOU.’”]
[“‘FATHER WAS SO PLEASED TO SEE YOU BOTH COME IN,’ SHE SAID, SOFTLY.”]
[“SHE ASKED ME WHETHER YOU USED A WARMING-PAN.”]
[“‘BAH! YOU ARE BACKING OUT OF IT,’ SAID THE IRRITATED MR. TURNBULL.”]
[“WITH A WILD SHRIEK, HE SHOT SUDDENLY OVER THE EDGE AND DISAPPEARED.”]
[“YOU TAKE MY ADVICE AND GET ’OME AND GET TO BED.”]
[“WHEN ANY OF THE THREE QUARRELLED HE USED TO ACT THE PART OF PEACEMAKER.”]
[“BILL JUMPED INTO A CAB AND PULLED PETER RUSSET IN ARTER ’IM.”]
[“PATTED BILL ON THE BACK, VERY GENTLE.”]
[“PICKED OUT THE SOFTEST STAIR ’E COULD FIND.”]
[“OLD SAM SAID ’OW SURPRISED HE WAS AT THEM FOR LETTING BILL DO IT.”]
[“LAWYER QUINCE.”]
[“‘COME DOWN TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE PRISONER?’ INQUIRED THE FARMER.”]
[“‘NONE O’ YER IMPUDENCE,’ SAID THE FARMER.”]
[“I THOUGHT ALL ALONG LAWYER QUINCE WOULD HAVE THE LAUGH OF YOU.”]
[“‘HOW DID YOU GET IN THAT SHED?’ DEMANDED HER PARENT.”]
[“HE GOT ’IMSELF VERY MUCH LIKED, ESPECIALLY BY THE OLD LADIES.”]
[“MRS. PRINCE WAS SITTING AT ’ER FRONT DOOR NURSING ’ER THREE CATS.”]
[“HE TOOK IT ROUND, AND EVERYBODY ’AD A LOOK AT IT.”]
[“SHE SAT LISTENING QUITE QUIET AT FUST.”]
[“THE DOCTOR FELT ’IS PULSE AND LOOKED AT ’IS TONGUE.”]
[“MR. RICHARD CATESBY, SECOND OFFICER OF THE SS. WIZARD, EMERGED FROM THE DOCK-GATES IN HIGH GOOD-HUMOUR.”]
[“MR. CATESBY MADE A FEW INQUIRIES.”]
[“‘I’M JUST GOING AS FAR AS THE CORNER,’ SAID MRS. TRUEFITT.”]
[“I’LL GO AND PUT ON A CLEAN COLLAR.”]
[“I’LL LOOK AFTER THAT, MA’AM.”]
[“MR. SAMUEL GUNNILL CAME STEALTHILY DOWN THE WINDING STAIRCASE.”]
[“THE CONSTABLE WATCHED HIM WITH THE AIR OF A PROPRIETOR.”]
[“HE SAW THE DOOR JUST OPENING TO ADMIT THE FORTUNATE HERBERT.”]
[“MR. SIMS WATCHED HER TENDERLY AS SHE DREW THE BEER.”]
[“FROM THE KITCHEN CAME SOUNDS OF HAMMERING.”]
[“‘DON’T CALL ON ME AS A WITNESS, THAT’S ALL,’ CONTINUED MR. DRILL.”]
[“‘POACHING,’ SAID THE OLD MAN, ‘AIN’T WOT IT USED TO BE IN THESE ’ERE PARTS.’”]
[“‘I SHALL ’AVE ’EM AFORE LONG,’ SES MR. CUTTS.”]
[“THREE MEN BURST OUT O’ THE PLANTATION.”]
[“BOB PRETTY POINTED WITH ’IS FINGER EXACTLY WHERE ’E THOUGHT IT WAS.”]
[“‘YOU OUGHT TO BE MORE CAREFUL,’ SES BOB.”]
[“TALKING ABOUT EDDICATION, SAID THE NIGHT-WATCHMAN.”]
[“‘GO AND SLEEP SOMEWHERE ELSE, THEN,’ SES DIXON.”]
[“YOU’D BETTER GO UPSTAIRS AND PUT ON SOME DECENT CLOTHES.”]
[“CHARLIE HAD ’AD AS MUCH AS ’E WANTED AND WAS LYING ON THE SEA-CHEST.”]
[“THE WAY SHE ANSWERED HER ’USBAND WAS A PLEASURE TO EVERY MARRIED MAN IN THE BAR.”]
[“MR. JOHN BLOWS STOOD LISTENING TO THE FOREMAN WITH AN AIR OF LOFTY DISDAIN.”]
[“‘JOE!’ SHOUTED MR. BLOWS. ‘J-O-O-OE!’”]
[“‘THEY DRAGGED THE RIVER,’ RESUMED HIS WIFE, ‘AND FOUND THE CAP.’”]
[“IN A PITIABLE STATE OF ‘NERVES’ HE SAT AT THE EXTREME END OF A BENCH.”]
[“MR. BLOWS, CONSCIOUS OF THE STRENGTH OF HIS POSITION, WALKED UP TO THEM.”]
[“DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT LOVE, BECAUSE I’VE SUFFERED ENOUGH THROUGH IT.”]
[“MISS TUCKER.”]
[“‘LET GO O’ THAT YOUNG LADY’S ARM,’ HE SES.”]
[“BILL LUMM, ’AVING PEELED, STOOD LOOKING ON WHILE GINGER TOOK ’IS THINGS OFF.”]
[“THE WAY HE CARRIED ON WHEN THE LANDLADY FRIED THE STEAK SHOWED ’OW UPSET HE WAS.”]
[“SEATED AT HIS EASE IN THE WARM TAP-ROOM OF THE CAULIFLOWER.”]
[“PUTTING HIS ’AND TO BILL’S MUG, HE TOOK OUT A LIVE FROG.”]
[“HE WAS RUNNING ALONG TO BOB PRETTY’S AS FAST AS ’IS LEGS WOULD TAKE ’IM.”]
[“AFORE ANYBODY COULD MOVE, HE BROUGHT IT DOWN BANG ON THE FACE O’ THE WATCH.”]
[“THE SCREAM ’E GAVE AS GEORGE KETTLE POINTED THE PISTOL AT ’IM WAS AWFUL.”]
[“SAT AT THE DOOR OF HIS LODGINGS GAZING IN PLACID CONTENT AT THE SEA.”]
[“MR. STILES WAS AFFECTING A STATELINESS OF MANNER WHICH WAS NOT WITHOUT DISTINCTION.”]
[“MR. STILES CALLED THE WIDOW A ‘SAUCY LITTLE BAGGAGE.’”]
[“‘GOOD RIDDANCE,’ SAID MR. BURTON, SAVAGELY.”]