" Let me see," it quavered. " That's no flat. That's
the best man above earth. Lend a mauley, old pals, and
let a beggar see I "

So they dragged him out upon his mat, and made room
for it and him, because he was too weak to rise. And
in what ensued, his recumbent flgure was the one that
ought to have been watched, with eyeballs starting from
their sunken sockets, and livid lips that tried so hard to
cheer — when Tom spilt his man in the first round — and
that failed so pitiably. But only Tom kept an eye on
him ; and so had it blacked through dropping his hands
and darting to the pickpocket, who had fallen forward
with the blood gushing from his moiith.
Tom got him in his arms, and pillowed the deathly
head upon his naked chest. '^ Stand aside, lads," he
cried. "The excitement — he's going I Let the wards-
man fetch help of some kind."

The wardsman had been a weakly protesting party to
all that had happened ; he was glad to get away.
The shrieking pandomomum was now silent as a



IKTEBIM 117

church. The worst man there looked on in awe at
Tom with his closing eye and tender hands, and the
gasping white face upon his bosom. Unheeded in his
comer, the lunatic still chuckled at intervals ; there was
but one other sound. . ..
