Book Two The Woman - Chapter 45 Which Concerns Itself - Among Other Matters - With the Boots of the Saturnine Jeremy

"A bottle o' rum!" said the man Bob, and taking it up, very
abstracted of eye, he removed the cork, sniffed at it, tasted it,
took a gulp, and handed it over to his companion, who also looked
at, sniffed at, and tasted it. "And what d'ye make o' that,
Jeremy?"

"Tasted better afore now!" growled Jeremy, and immediately took
another pull.

"Sang-widges, too!" pursued the man Bob, in a ruminating tone,
"an' I always was partial to chicken!" and, forthwith, opening
the dainty parcel, he helped himself, and his companion also.

"What d'ye make o' them, Jeremy?" he inquired, munching.

"I've eat wuss!" rumbled Jeremy, also munching.

"Young cove, they does you credit," said the man Bob, nodding to
me with great urbanity, "great credit--there ain't many
misfort'nates as can per-jooce such sang-widges as them, though,
to be sure, they eats uncommon quick 'old 'ard there, Jeremy--"
But, indeed, the sandwiches were already only a memory, wherefore
his brow grew black, and he glared at the still munching Jeremy,
who met his looks with his usual impenetrable gloom.

"A pipe and 'bacca!" mused the man Bob, after we had ridden some
while in silence, and, with the same serene unconsciousness of
manner, he took the pipe, filled it, lighted it, and puffed with
an air of dreamy content.