CHAPTER XXXI
The Great Oration
On the Monday morning after the beano a man named Jim Smith was painting an upper room in a house where several of Rushton's men were working. He was an odd looking individual with a big body and short legs, and the other men used to say there was something wrong with the way that 'Little Jim' was made. About ten minutes to eight, while he was waiting for the coddy to shout 'Yo ho,' the signal for breakfast time, he began to hum some of the tunes that had been sung at the beano, for having rubbed down and stopped all the woodwork and painted the window since six o'clock, he decided not to make a start on the door till after breakfast. He only earned 6½d. an hour, and as he said to himself, it was a good two hours' work and if he hadn't earned a bob he hadn't earned nothing. Anyhow he wasn't going to do no more before breakfast. The tune of 'For he's a jolly good fellow' kept running through his head, he thrust his hands deep down in his trousers pockets and began to polka round the room, singing softly:
'I won't do no more before breakfast!
I won't do no more before breakfast!
I won't do no more before breakfast!
So 'ip 'ip 'ip 'ooray!
So 'ip 'ip 'ip 'ooray! So 'ip 'ip 'ip 'ooray!
I won't do no more before breakfast!
......etc.'
'No, and you won't do but very little after breakfast, 'ere!' shouted Hunter, suddenly entering the room.
'I've bin a watchin' of you through the crack of the door for the larst 'arf hour and you've not done a dam stroke all the time. Make out yer time sheet and go to the office at nine
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