“He gave me a little punch in the ribs, playfullike, and, arter telling me I was worth my weight in gold-dust, went back to the cabin agin.

“I told Miss Lamb that the cabin was locked up, but that Cap’n Tarbell was expected back in about ’arf-an-hour’s time.  Then I found ’er an old newspaper and a comfortable chair and sat down to wait.  I couldn’t go on the wharf for fear she’d want to come with me, and I sat there as patient as I could, till a little clicking noise made us both start up and look at each other.

“‘Wot’s that?’ she ses, listening.

“‘It sounded,’ I ses ‘it sounded like somebody locking the door.’

“I went to the door to try it just as somebody dashed past the window with their ’ead down.  It was locked fast, and arter I had ’ad a try at it and Miss Lamb had ’ad a try at it, we stood and looked at each other in surprise.

“‘Somebody’s playing a joke on us,’ I ses.

“‘Joke!’ ses Miss Lamb.  ’Open that door at once.  If you don’t open it I’ll call for the police.’

“She looked at the windows, but the iron bars wot was strong enough to keep the vans outside was strong enough to keep ’er in, and then she gave way to such a fit o’ temper that I couldn’t do nothing with ’er.

“‘Cap’n Tarbell can’t be long now,’ I ses, as soon as I could get a word in.  ‘We shall get out as soon as e comes.’

“She flung ’erself down in the chair agin with ’er back to me, and for nearly three-quarters of an hour we sat there without a word.  Then, to our joy, we ’eard footsteps turn in at the gate.  Quick footsteps they was.  Somebody turned the handle of the door, and then a face looked in at the window that made me nearly jump out of my boots in surprise.  A face that was as white as chalk with temper, and a bonnet cocked over one eye with walking fast.  She shook ’er fist at me, and then she shook it at Miss Lamb.

“‘Who’s that?’ ses Miss Lamb.

“‘My missis,’ I ses, in a loud voice.  ‘Thank goodness she’s come.’

“‘Open the door!’ ses my missis, with a screech.

“‘Open the door!’

“‘I can’t,’ I ses.  ’Somebody’s locked it.  This is Cap’n Tarbell’s young lady.’

“’I’ll Cap’n Tarbell ‘er when I get in!’ ses my wife.  ’You too.  I’ll music-’all you!  I’ll learn you to go gallivanting about!  Open the door!’

“She walked up and down the alley-way in front of the window waiting for me just like a lion walking up and down its cage waiting for its dinner, and I made up my mind then and there that I should ’ave to make a clean breast of it and let Cap’n Tarbell get out of it the best way he could.  I wasn’t going to suffer for him.

“’Ow long my missis walked up and down there I don’t know.  It seemed ages to me; but at last I ’eard footsteps and voices, and Bob and the cook and the other two chaps wot we ’ad met at the music’all came along and stood grinning in at the window.