Of his face one could see little, for it was covered by a thick
growth of dark curly hair, beard, moustache and whiskers, all
overgrown and ill-tended, and as he came with a somewhat slow and
ungainly walk along the platform, the lad stationed at the gate to
collect tickets grinned amusedly and called to one of the porters
near:
"Look at this, Bill; here's the monkey-man escaped and come back
along of us."
It was a reference to a travelling circus that had lately visited
the place and exhibited a young chimpanzee advertised as "the
monkey-man," and Bill guffawed appreciatively.
The stranger was quite close and heard plainly, for indeed the youth
at the gate had made no special attempt to speak softly.
The boy was still laughing as he held out his hand for the ticket,
and the stranger gave it to him with one hand and at the same time
shot out a long arm, caught the boy--a well-grown lad of sixteen
--by the middle and, with as little apparent effort as though
lifting a baby, swung him into the air to the top of the gate-post,
where he left him clinging with arms and legs six feet from the
ground.
"Hi, what are you a-doing of?" shouted the porter, running up, as
the amazed and frightened youth, clinging to his gate-post, emitted
a dismal howl.
"Teaching a cheeky boy manners," retorted the stranger with an angry
look and in a very gruff and harsh voice.
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