[Illustration:  “They put old Isaac’s clothes up for fifteen shillings.”]

First thing they did was to ’ave a good breakfast, and after that they came out smiling all over and began to spend a ’appy day.  Ginger was in tip-top spirits and so was Peter, and the idea that old Isaac was in bed while they was drinking ’is clothes pleased them more than anything.  Twice that evening policemen spoke to Ginger for dancing on the pavement, and by the time the money was spent it took Peter all ’is time to get ’im ’ome.

Old Isaac was in bed when they got there, and the temper ’e was in was shocking; but Ginger sat on ’is bed and smiled at ’im as if ’e was saying compliments to ’im.

“Where’s my clothes?” ses the old man, shaking ’is fist at the two of ’em.

Ginger smiled at ’im; then ’e shut ’is eyes and dropped off to sleep.

“Where’s my clothes?” ses Isaac, turning to Peter.  “Closhe?” ses Peter, staring at ’im.

“Where are they?” ses Isaac.

It was a long time afore Peter could understand wot ’e meant, but as soon as ’e did ’e started to look for ’em.  Drink takes people in different ways, and the way it always took Peter was to make ‘im one o’ the most obliging men that ever lived.  He spent arf the night crawling about on all fours looking for the clothes, and four or five times old Isaac woke up from dreams of earthquakes to find Peter ’ad got jammed under ’is bed, and was wondering what ’ad ’appened to ’im.

None of ’em was in the best o’ tempers when they woke up next morning, and Ginger ’ad ’ardly got ’is eyes open before Isaac was asking ’im about ’is clothes agin.

“Don’t bother me about your clothes,” ses Ginger; “talk about something else for a change.”

“Where are they?” ses Isaac, sitting on the edge of ’is bed.

Ginger yawned and felt in ’is waistcoat pocket—­for neither of ’em ’ad undressed—­and then ’e took the pawn-ticket out and threw it on the floor.  Isaac picked it up, and then ’e began to dance about the room as if ’e’d gone mad.

“Do you mean to tell me you’ve pawned my clothes?” he shouts.

“Me and Peter did,” ses Ginger, sitting up in bed and getting ready for a row.

Isaac dropped on the bed agin all of a ’cap.  “And wot am I to do?” he ses.

“If you be’ave yourself,” ses Ginger, “and give us our money, me and Peter’ll go and get ’em out agin.  When we’ve ’ad breakfast, that is.  There’s no hurry.”

“But I ’aven’t got the money,” ses Isaac; “it was all sewn up in the lining of the coat.  I’ve on’y got about five shillings.  You’ve made a nice mess of it, Ginger, you ’ave.”

“You’re a silly fool, Ginger, that’s wot you are,” ses Peter.

“Sewn up in the lining of the coat?” ses Ginger, staring.

“The bank-notes was,” ses Isaac, “and three pounds in gold ’idden in the cap.  Did you pawn that too?”

Ginger got up in ’is excitement and walked up and down the room.  “We must go and get ’em out at once,” he ses.