You have not a pistol, have you?"
"I have my stick."
"It is just possible that we may need something of the sort if we
get to their lair. Jonathan I shall leave to you, but if the
other turns nasty I shall shoot him dead." He took out his
revolver as he spoke, and, having loaded two of the chambers, he
put it back into the right-hand pocket of his jacket.
We had during this time been following the guidance of Toby down
the half-rural villa-lined roads which lead to the metropolis.
Now, however, we were beginning to come among continuous streets,
where laborers and dockmen were already astir, and slatternly
women were taking down shutters and brushing door-steps. At the
square-topped corner public houses business was just beginning,
and rough-looking men were emerging, rubbing their sleeves across
their beards after their morning wet. Strange dogs sauntered up
and stared wonderingly at us as we passed, but our inimitable
Toby looked neither to the right nor to the left, but trotted
onwards with his nose to the ground and an occasional eager whine
which spoke of a hot scent.
We had traversed Streatham, Brixton, Camberwell, and now found
ourselves in Kennington Lane, having borne away through the side-
streets to the east of the Oval.
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