who’ll tike odds. I’ll back the fee-ald. The fee-ald a powney!”

[Pg 56]

“Evangeline,” said Mam, “put the green cloth over that bird. He grows worse daily, and I cannot make out where he learns so much cockney slang.”

Minkie kicked me under the table. She guessed I had been teasing him. At any rate, the parrot clearly expected to witness a first-rate set-to when the mongoose arrived. In his own mind he had already taken a ticket for the front row of the stalls, and I meant to oblige him with a star turn. A mongoose may be able to catch a snake, but he must not put on airs with a dog who killed thirty rats in one minute the last time Farmer Hodson threshed his barley stack.

I heard Schwartz telling Dolly that he had changed his mind and would go to church, so at half-past ten they walked off to the village. [Pg 57]It was quite warm in the sun, but the air was nippy, so I gave Tib a run across the lawn when I found her stalking a sparrow; then I went round to see Bob. He was busy eating. I suppose a horse has to get through a lot of hay before he fills up. Hay is dry stuff at the best. I like an odd snack between meals myself, but the only chew worth considering is something you can load in quickly before any other fellow has a chance of grabbing it.

[Pg 57]

Anyhow, when I asked Bob what a mongoose was, he was rather short, and said he had no time for riddles, as he had been dreaming of niggers all night.

“Tell you what,” said I, “hay makes you nervous. It must be like tea. Cookie says—”

Then Bob gave his horse laugh.

“Cookie calls it ‘tea,’ does she?” he roared. “You give her my compliments and ask her to draw some of that tea for me in a jug. Tib knows where the barrel is.”

So I trotted back to Polly.

“Look here!” I said, “tell me what a mongoose is, and I’ll nick some grapes for you.”

[Pg 58]

[Pg 58]

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