ALBERT. Yes, they know if you've got it. Well, they sort of mouched after me, and I tells a policeman and he says, O, they were only three poor niggers and they wouldn't hurt me. Ugh! When I thought of what they did in Malta to poor old Jim.
BILL. Yes, and to George in Bombay before we started.
ALBERT. Well, I did better than that. I walks up and down through Hull. I walks slow enough. And then I turns a corner and I runs. I never sees a corner but I turns it. But sometimes I let a corner pass just to fool them. I twists about like a hare. Then I sits down and waits. No priests.
ALBERT. No heathen black devils with gold spots on their face. I give 'em the slip.
SNIGGERS [_after a sigh of content_]. Why didn't you tell us?
ALBERT. 'Cause 'e won't let you speak. 'E's got 'is plans and 'e thinks we're silly folk. Things must be done 'is way. And all the time I've give 'em the slip. Might 'ave 'ad one o' them crooked knives in him before now but for me who give 'em the slip in Hull.
BILL. Well done, Albert! Do you hear that, Toffy? Albert has give 'em the slip.
ALBERT. Don't seem to know what 'e's waiting for.
ALBERT. It's getting silly, Bill. Our money's gone and we want to sell the ruby. Let's get on to a town.
SNIGGERS. We'll be all right if we keep away from Hull.
SNIGGERS. All right. Only let's go. [_To THE TOFF._] We're going, do you hear? Give us the ruby.
THE TOFF. Certainly. [_He gives them a ruby from his waistcoat pocket; it is the size of a small hen's egg. He goes on reading his paper._]
ALBERT. Come on, Sniggers. [_Exeunt ALBERT and SNIGGERS._]
BILL. Good-by, old man. We'll give you your fair share, but there's nothing to do here--no girls, no halls, and we must sell the ruby.
BILL. No, no, of course not. Of course you ain't, and you've helped us a lot. Good-by. You'll say good-by?
THE TOFF. Oh, yes. Good-by. [_Still reads his paper. Exit BILL. THE TOFF puts a revolver on the table beside him and goes on with his papers. After a moment the three men come rushing in again, frightened._]
SNIGGERS [_out of breath_]. We've come back, Toffy.
SNIGGERS. Did you know they were here, Toffy?
BILL. Toffy, old man ... what are we to do?
BILL. If they can do things like this, there's no one can save us but you, Toffy.... I always knew you were a clever one. We won't be fools any more. We'll obey you, Toffy.