The Sailor

Enery A rper, said the woman with a shrill snigger not unlike the whinny of a horse, A untie said shed wait up for you, didnt she? And she always keeps a promise, dont she, my boy? The figure six yards away the fog was doing its best to hide cowered yet closer to the wall. And what was it, Enery, that A untie promised you if you come ome again with ninepence? The wheeze of the voice had a note of humor. The boy was wedged so close to the wall that he had barked the skin off his bare knees. The woman, watching him intently, began to trail the heavy lash on the cobbled yard. Said shed make it up to a shillin for you, didnt she? ... if you come ome again with ninepence. Said shed cut the heart out oyou .. .same as if it was the eye of a pertater. A powerful arm was already loose. The eye of an expert had the distance measured to a nicety. Clean out. A scream followed that was not human. The heavy whip had caught the boy round the unprotected thighs. Ill do ye in this time. Mad with pain and terror the boy dashed straight at her, charging like a desperate animal, as with leisurely ferocity she prepared for a second cut at him. The impact of his body was so unexpected that it nearly knocked her down. It was his only chance. Before she could recover her balance he was out of the gate and away in the fog. A lane ran past the yard. He was in it before the whip could reach him again; in it and running for his life. The lane was short, straight and very narrow, with high walls on both sides.(Typographical errors above are due to OCR software and don't occur in the book.)About the Publisher Forgotten Books is a publisher of historical writings, such as: Philosophy, Classics, Science, Religion, History, Folklore and Mythology.Forgotten Books' Classic Reprint Series utilizes the latest technology to regenerate facsimiles of historically important writings. Careful attention has been made to