Jonah

und that he had still half an hour to spare, as he had come down early to mark a pak-ah-pu ticket at t

water in motion between the banks of stalls. From the stone flags underneath rose a sustained, continuous noise-the leisurely tread and shuffle of a

days the great market, silent and deserted for six nights in the week, was a debauch of sound and colour and smell. Strange, pungent odours assailed the nostrils; the ear was surprised with the s

ty of the shops were cast aside, and you were deep in the romance of traffic in merchandise fallen from its h

dainties of the rich, a stain on the cloth, a discoloured label on the tin, alone giving a hint of their adventures. Then the people hovered round

ed body that could not be supplied in this huge bazaar of the poor, but its cost

ill; the trays heaped with sweets coloured like the rainbow, pleased his eye, and, remembering Ada'

moist earth. Over the way, men lingered with serious faces, trying the edge of a chisel with their thum

ines. On the walls were framed pictures of Christ crucified, the red blood dropping from His wounds, or the old

dly in the coops; the ducks lay on planks, their legs fas

op, fascinated the younger women, stirring their instinctive delight in

at the painted toys, surprised that the world contained such beautiful things. The mothers, harassed with petty cares, anxiously cons

beans, and cauliflowers, crying the prices in broken English, or chattering with their neighbours in barbaric, guttural sounds. To Chook they w

and patches, cheated the eye like a painted beauty at a ball. Women's finery lay in disordered heaps-silk blouses covered with tawdry lace, skirts heavy with gaudy trimming-the draggled plumage of fine birds that ha

s, a collection of scientific essays, a technical work out of date. And the men, anxious to improve their minds, stared at the titles with the curious reverence of the illiterate for a pr

lean in a wilderness of fat. The buyers watched hungrily as the keen knife slipped into the rich meat, and the rasher, thin as paper, fell on the board like the shaving from a carpenter's pl

ching in their arms fowls, pot-plants, parcels of groceries, toys for the children, and a thousand odd, nameless trifles, bought for the sake of buying, because they were cheap. A babel of broken conversation, questions and replies, jests and laughter, drowned the cries of the dealers, and a strong, penetrating odour of human sweat

us," cried Chook, his ey

ad over the girl's face, an

goin'. Are yer wal

k, "an' don't wak

ey by the crowd, scowling at him over her shoulder. He ignored Chook's friendly nod,

ul red hair, glittering like bronze, fell in short curls round the nape of her neck, where it had escaped from the comb. A tremor ran through his limbs and his pulse

yer feel lonely," sa

l miss the bus," cried Pinkey

o the corner, little Joe Crutch

e've bin waitin' 'ere this 'arf

do meet," said

nted floor, and a lofty roof on steel girders. It is here the people amuse themse

gry dog jumps at a bone, eagerly sniffing the smell of bu

s ter shout," cr

k me," said Chook, producing

a rapid movement, twisted a slip of paper into a spill, and, filling it with chips, shook a castor of salt over the top. Customers crowded about, impatient t

s they watched the cook stirring the potatoes in the cauldron of boiling fat. Then they licked the grease off their fingers, lit ciga

each received a plate containing a squashy mess of peas and a luscious saveloy, they began to eat with slow, anim

man up," said Chook, wiping his

for the people. The mysterious fluid that ran silently and invisibly through the copper wires put them in touch with the mysteries of Nat

nd ice-cream. But as they passed the battery, a sudden desire swept through him to give an exhibition of his st

s face contracted into a rigid stare as the electric current ran through his limbs. He had the face of one visiting the dentist, but he

s. The pointer moved slowly round, and passed Stinky's mark, but Chook held on, determined to eclipse his rival. His muscles seemed to be cracking with

h defeat, instantly

" he cried angrily. "Women c

r own game, an' I'm a

ndous thud, and a voice cried, "Try ye

a malicious grin, for he counted on his supe

go!" cr

his muscles with tremendous effort as he swung the hammer, turning red in the face with the exertion. The mallet fell, and a little m

ich was the heavier blow. But Stinky, whose blood was up, seized the mallet again, and forced every ounce of his strength into the blow. The manikin flew a foot higher than the previous mark.

er game yer know?

e enormous chimneys that had blown down. A sharp,

can't ring the bell in

shoute

the black tube at a white disc that seemed miles away. Each held the gun awkwardly like a broom-handle, holding their breath to prevent the barrel from wobbling. At the

a mo'-this i

appetite for this delicacy is independent of the season. Pinkey, who adore

a 'oly show of yerself 'cause yer lo

t into the glasses as if it were mortar. And they swallowed the icy mixture in silence, allowing it to melt on the tongue to extract the flavour

if it chokes

where it broke with a noisy crash that jerked eve

t I eat," he crie

te of a delicacy fit for kings. Chook stood for a moment, glowering

ng him away with the desperate val

next time," said Ch

the arm, and they dis

egan to jabber excitedly in Italian. The woman began to scrape the pieces of brok

usly excited. The three larrikins caught up with Stinky and the girl as they were crossing into B

tried to sneak yer moll?" he

' neck," said Choo

dvice, I'll ask fe

," said Chook. "Don't open yer mo

ody as 'awks rotten cabbages th

k worse than some people

on the score of the vile sme

" he shouted, "I'm as

our! I wouldn't let it g

ly into flame, and the two men rushed at ea

be a

nly git l

th a sudden twist, broke away from their ad

sts, who faced each other with the savage intensity of gamecocks

side of the ring, where she could only judge the p

r left,

price

im

rush, an' us

'im up

I tell yer

same class,

-mix it. Yer'v

ening to finish his man before the police came up, when a surprising thing happened. As Stinky retreated in exhaustion before the fists that rattled on his face like drumsticks, his hand str

's stiffe

'is nec

sudden change-the stillness of his enemy, who a mo

johns," cr

cried Stinky, an

ard," cried Pinkey, her face crimson with passi

her change that he was too dazed to underst

e body, and listened. "I can '

the breathing grew louder

ey! A kn

ight in a f

n Chook the dreaded knock-out, a jolt beside the chi

s chance to show their authority and or

position, when, to Pinkey's delight, he open

he muttered, like a m

ve been fighting,"

alkin' along, quiet as a lamb, when a

s he?" asked

re," said Chook, lying without hesitat

d hard at him, and

his, or I'll

him, and, turning his head, found that it was Pinkey, who was holding his arm and guiding his steps. He wrenched his arm free with an oath,

no bloke,"

mean?" cr

I don't want," said Pinkey

kum?" cri

with its crown of hair t

topped

Joe; "I'll ketch up with yer in a m

hat softened imperceptibly into a smile, and

d; and Pinkey obey

in his eyes, and then caught her in his

girl with a shuddering laugh, as she