Before the Artful Dodger

Pain in the neck

Jack went to bed that night feeling proud of himself. In fact, the boy fully expected to be out on the job, the next day. He should not have got his hopes up though, as Fagin had other ideas..........

"'Ello Fagin. Can I go wiv Nancy an' Bill today?" 

"Wot, my dear? Ya wanna go out there? No! Hahahahaha!"

"Wodya mean, no? I'm good, ain't I? Good as Bill, 'f not better!"

Still chuckling, Fagin answered, "My dear, if ya want the long an' short of it............ Nobody is as good as Bill."

"So I'm better then! Knew it all along!"

"No! Yer not better! Yer gonna stay 'ere Charlie, un-picking 'an'kerchief  stitchin'. That's the last I'll 'ear of it."

Sighing, Jack got to work with thehandkerchiefs, Charlie Bates at his side.

"Do we 'ave to do this every day?" he asked his friend in a bored tone.

"Yup," he answered. "That is, until we turn eight. That's......" Charlie paused to count. "Three years for me, an' four for you."

"Oh! Stuck 'ere every day for THAT long? I'll likely die o' boredom! 'S just not fair........"

A little later, Fagin looked over at the boys. Working together, they had managed to get through seven heavily embroidered handkerchiefs.

"My dears, as it's just us three, I was wandering if you wanted to come and see a hanging with me. They'll put on a show!"

Not quite understanding what the man meant by a 'hanging', Jack agreed to it, andwaited by the door with Charlie. Eventually, they were down the rickety stairs, across the decrepit bridge, and walking through the crowded London streets.

"Are we there yet?" moaned Charlie.

"Listen, you," replied Fagin. "Do you want to see the this 'anging, or do you want to be 'anged?"

That shut him up, until the old man stopped, causing Charlie to stop, causing Jack to bump into them and fall over, backwards.

"'Ere." His friend held out a grubby hand.

"Thanks."

Once up, Fagin shoved the boys forward, so that they were at the front of the crowd. Before them, was a great, wooden stage. Three men were on it, two clearly guarding the other. To their right was a set of wood poles, connected to each other, with a looped rope dangling from them.

Seeing his little companion staring, Charlie explained, "That's the gallows, me flash mate. You put someone's 'ead through that loop to 'any 'em."

Jack nodded. The crowd around them went silent. The man that was being guarded was frogmarched towards the 'gallows' as Charlie called them. Now, the boy noticed that the prisoner's hands were tied together behind his back. The captive put his head through the loop. A third guard pulled something. Beneath the man, a trapdoor opened. He dropped down. His head bent backwards. Much too far backwards. A loud snap sounded.

💩 'Ello again, me flash mates! I wasn't sure wot to do wiv this chapter. So I killed an extra. Nice, ain't I? 'Ope you liked it, an' even if ya didn't, comment before ya get 'anged! I'm off now, but I'll be back soon! So long, fair thee well, pip pip, cheerio, I'll be back soon! 💖💋