“I know my dooty,” I ses; “there’s no craft up to-night, and no reason for anybody to come to my bell.  If I was to open the gate every time a parcel of overgrown boys rang my bell I should ’ave enough to do.”

“Well, I’ll overlook it this time, seeing as you’re an old man and couldn’t get another sleeping-in job,” he ses, looking at the policeman for him to see ’ow clever ’e was.  “Wot about that tanner?  That’s wot I’ve come for.”

“You be off,” I ses, starting to shut the wicket.  “You won’t get no tanner out of me.”

“All right,” he ses, “I shall stand here and go on ringing the bell till you pay up, that’s all.”

He gave it another tug, and the policeman instead of locking ’im up for it stood there laughing.

I gave ’im the tanner.  It was no use standing there arguing over a tanner, with a purse of twelve quid waiting for me in the dock, but I told ’im wot people thought of ’im.

“Arf a second, watchman,” ses the policeman, as I started to shut the wicket agin.  “You didn’t see anything of that pickpocket, did you?”

“I did not,” I ses.

“’Cos this gentleman thought he might ’ave come in here,” ses the policeman.

“’Ow could he ’ave come in here without me knowing it?” I ses, firing up.

“Easy,” ses the landlord, “and stole your boots into the bargain”

“He might ’ave come when your back was turned,” ses the policeman, “and if so, he might be ’iding there now.  I wonder whether you’d mind me having a look round?”

“I tell you he ain’t ’ere,” I ses, very short, “but, to ease your mind, I’ll ’ave a look round myself arter you’ve gorn.”

The policeman shook his ‘ead.  “Well, o’ course, I can’t come in without your permission,” he ses, with a little cough, “but I ’ave an idea, that if it was your guv’nor ‘ere instead of you he’d ha’ been on’y too pleased to do anything ’e could to help the law.  I’ll beg his pardon tomorrow for asking you, in case he might object.”

That settled it.  That’s the police all over, and that’s ’ow they get their way and do as they like.  I could see ’im in my mind’s eye talking to the guv’nor, and letting out little things about broken glasses and such-like by accident.  I drew back to let ’im pass, and I was so upset that when that little rat of a landlord follered ’im I didn’t say a word.

I stood and watched them poking and prying about the wharf as if it belonged to ’em, with the light from the policeman’s lantern flashing about all over the place.  I was shivering with cold and temper.  The mud was drying on me.

“If you’ve finished ’unting for the pickpocket I’ll let you out and get on with my work,” I ses, drawing myself up.

“Good night,” ses the policeman, moving off.  “Good night, dear,” ses the landlord.  “Mind you tuck yourself up warm.”

I lost my temper for the moment and afore I knew wot I was doing I ’ad got hold of him and was shoving ’im towards the gate as ’ard as I could shove.  He pretty near got my coat off in the struggle, and next moment the police-man ’ad turned his lantern on me and they was both staring at me as if they couldn’t believe their eyesight.