I stopped short and looked at him, but saw directly that he was only
joking, and went on again: "You don't think that," I said quickly; "for if you did you would not
have come away. Do you think he has gone back to the cart?"
"Oh, there's no knowing," he replied. "P'r'aps when we get back there
won't be any cart; some one will have run away with it. They're rum uns
here in London."
"Why, you haven't left the cart alone, Ike," I cried.
"That's a good one, that is," he exclaimed. "You haven't left the cart
alone! Why, you and Shock did."
"Yes," I said; "but--"
"There, come and let's see," he said gruffly. "We should look well, we
two, going back home without a cart, and old Bonyparty took away and cut
up for goodness knows what and his skin made into leather. Come along."
We walked quickly, for it seemed as if this was going to be a day all
misfortunes; but as we reached the market again I found that Ike had not
left the cart untended, for a man was there by the horse, and the big
whip curved over in safety from where it was stuck.
"Seen anything of our other boy?" said Ike as we reached the cart.
"No," was the reply.
"Hadn't we better go back and look for him?" I said anxiously.
"Well, I don't know," said Ike, rubbing one ear; "he ain't so much
consequence as you."
"I've been to Paris and I've been to Do-ho-ver."
"Why, there he is," I cried; and, climbing up the wheel, there lay Shock
on his back right on the top of the baskets, and as soon as he saw my
face he grinned and then turned his back.
"He's all right," I said as I descended; and just then there was a
creaking noise among the baskets, and Shock's head appeared over the
edge.
"Here y'are," he cried. "That there tumbled out o' window, and I
ketched it and brought it here."
As he spoke he threw down the coil of nearly new rope, and I felt so
delighted that I could have gone up to him and shaken hands.
"Well, that's a good un, that is," said Ike with a chuckle. "I am 'bout
fine and glad o' that."
He took the rope and tied it up to the ladder again, and then turned to
me.
"Come along and get some breakfast, my lad," he said. "I dessay you're
fine and hungry."
"But how about Shock?"
"Oh, we'll send him out some. Here, you, Shock, look after the cart and
horse. Don't you leave 'em," Ike added to the man; and then we made our
way to a coffee-house, where Ike's first act, to my great satisfaction,
was to procure a great mug of coffee and a couple of rolls, which he
opened as if they had been oysters, dabbed a lump of butter in each, and
then put under his arm.