DON'T reckon," said the boy who was dusting a cigarette advertisement, "that we've got what you may call an exciting business, sir."
Mr. Bourne, behind the counter, looked up from the romance that he was reading and fingered his slight moustache nervously.
"Two packets of cigarette papers," went on the boy gloomily, "a screw of shag, and a couple of cheeky kids trying to sell us matches—that's what we've done to-day. And my argument ("Now then, Tottie." This to an amazing young woman on a tobacco advertisement that had gone awry. "Sit up straight, can't you, when I keep telling you)—And my argument is that we might do a lump better."
"If I'd only got a bit more capital," said the young proprietor wistfully to the boy.
"Kepital?" echoed the boy. "Kepital ain't everything. What you want, sir, is push; what you want is enterprise; what you want is to fling yourself about."
"Another fifty pound," said Mr. Bourne thoughtfully, "and I could 'ave got into a main thoroughfare, where a demand for a good sound twopenny goes on the whole day long."
"People ain't coming down this by-street to get no twopennies," agreed Robert Henry, "sound or unsound." He took a broom and swept the spotless floor with something of fury. "Nobody never comes 'ere; nothing never 'appens; no one neverUllo!"
Robert Henry ran to the doorway. From the direction of Limehouse Causeway there was a sound of voices. The noise came nearer.
"What's up?" asked Mr. Bourne. He went round to the door leisurely.
"Shindy of some kind," shouted Robert Henry with excitement. "One of them sailor's rows, I expect. Time we had anofer murder. 'Ere comes someone!"
Someone had indeed turned the corner of the dim, narrow street. Mr. Bourne, peeping over the head of Robert Henry, saw a Chinaman slipping eel-like in the shadow of the houses. As he neared the shop, a noisy crowd appeared at the end of the street, cheering two short infuriated Japanese sailors. The pursued Chinaman looked over his shoulder and, turning swiftly, slipped between Mr. Bourne and the lad into the tobacconist's shop. He jumped nimbly on the counter, turned out the four gas jets, and disappeared. The crowd swept past the doorway and then wavered, and some of it returned.
"Seen a Chink?" demanded a swollen-faced man, in a gasp. "There's one come down this way. These two Japs are after him, and they'll 'ave his blood if they can find him."
"He went on that way," said Robert Henry readily. "Frough that court."
"Sure he didn't turn into your shop?"
The two Japanese sailors came back breathless, their entourage of interested men and women with them.
"Fink we shouldn't know it if he had?" asked Robert Henry indignantly. "Ast the guv'nor, if you don't believe me"
The swollen-faced man looked interrogatively at Mr. Bourne, and the two Japanese pressed forward to hear his answer. From inside the dark shop came the sound of partially repressed breathing.
"What the boy says," declared Mr. Bourne, "is gospel."
"Come on!" shouted the swollen-faced man, with the ardour of a true sportsman. "He's gone up this court. We'll ketch him there like a bloomin' rat in a bloomin' 'ole."
The two Japanese sailors rushed on, and the crowd followed, enjoying to the full the pleasures of the chase and screaming with enthusiasm. A constable of the K division stamped down the narrow street and spoke to Mr. Bourne.
"What's up? " asked K 052.
"’Unting a Chinaman," said Mr. Bourne.
"I wish all the foreigners," said K 052 strenuously, "was put in a balloon and carried away to sea and drowned."
"Wouldn't be a bad idea," agreed Mr. Bourne.
"Oblige me with 'alf an ounce of best navy cut before you go to by-bye."
"With pleasure," said Mr. Bourne.
Robert Henry went round to the other side of the counter, and the constable at the doorway found his pouch. Robert Henry stumbled against the escaped Chinaman, who, crouching down, kissed Robert Henry's coat-sleeve. The lad made the tobacco into a packet and brought it it to the doorway.
"Fall over yourself?" asked the constable kindly.
"Very nigh," replied Robert Henry.
"Never mind about the twopence ha'penny," said Mr. Bourne.
"Very well," remarked K. 052 agreeably, "I won't. So long!"
"So long!" said Mr. Bourne. "Robert 'Enry, put the shutters up."
Mr. Bourne did not move from the doorway until this undertaking was completed, being, as a matter of fact, a young man with only the usual amount of courage, and not, under the circumstances, disinclined for the presence and support of Robert Henry. When the last shutter was fixed the two went inside and closed the door.