He sent five shots in the
direction from which he supposed the sniper who had been potting at us
all day, was firing. Then he returned to his argument.
"You've seen that bird at the farm in Mazingarbe?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied. "Pryor said that her ankles were abnormally thick."
"Pryor's a fool," Bill exclaimed.
"But they really looked thick----"
"You're a bigger fool than 'im!"
"I didn't know you had fallen in love with the girl," I said "How did
it happen?"
"Blimey, I'm not in love," said my mate, "but I like a girl with a
good 'eart. Twas out in the horchard in the farm I first met 'er. (p. 288)
I was out pullin' apples, pinchin' them if you like to say so, and I
was shakin' the apples from the branches. I had to keep my eyes on the
farm to see that nobody seen me while I shook. It takes a devil of a
lot of strength to rumble apples off a tree when you're shakin' a
trunk that's stouter than the bread basket of a Bow butcher. All at
once I saw the girl of the farm comin' runnin' at me with a stick.
Round to the other side of the tree I ran like lightnin', and after me
she comes. Then round to the other side went I----"
"Which side?" I asked.
"The side she wasn't on," said Bill. "After me she came and round to
her side I 'opped----"
"Who was on the other side now?" I inquired.
"I took good care that she was always on the other side until I saw
what she was up to with the stick," said Bill. "But d'yer know what
the stick was for? 'Twas to help me to bring down the apples.
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