The Cricketers' Arms
'More fool 'im,' growled Crass, 'There was no need for it, the man's all right.'
The Besotted Wretch gulped his beer down as quickly as he could, with his eyes fixed greedily on Philpot's glass. He had just finished his own and was about to suggest that it was a pity to waste the porter, when Philpot unexpectedly reappeared.
'Hullo! what 'ave you done with 'im?' inquired Crass.
'I think 'e'll be all right,' replied Philpot. 'He wouldn't let me go no further with 'im; said if I didn't go away, 'e'd go for me! But I believe 'e'll be all right, I think the fall sobered 'im a bit.'
'Oh, 'e's all right,' said Crass, offhandedly. 'There's nothing the matter with 'im.'
Philpot now drank his porter, and bidding good-night to the Old Dear, the landlady and the Besotted Wretch, they all set out for home.
As they went along the dark and lonely thoroughfare that led over the hill to Windley, they heard from time to time the weird roaring of the wild animals in the menagerie that was encamped in the adjacent field. Just as they reached a very gloomy and deserted part, they suddenly observed a dark object in the middle of the road some distance in front of them. It seemed to be a large animal of some kind, and was coming slowly and stealthily towards them.
They stopped, peering in a half frightened way through the darkness. The animal continued to approach. Bundy stooped down to the ground, groping about in search of a stone, and—with the exception of Crass, who was too frightened to move—the others followed his example. They found several large stones and stood waiting for the creature—whatever it was—to come a little nearer so as to get a fair shot at it. They were about to let fly when it fell over on its side and moaned as if in pain. Observing this the four men advanced cautiously towards it. Bundy struck a match, and held it over the prostrate figure. It was the Semi-Drunk.
After parting from Philpot the poor wretch had managed to walk all right for some distance. As Philpot had remarked, the fall had to some extent sobered him; but he had not gone very far before the drink he had taken began to affect him again and he had fallen down. Finding it impossible to get up, he began crawling along on his hands and knees, unconscious
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