Alfie had to get to his friends and warn them that Silas and his henchmen had planned to double-cross them and might come for them next, as they knew where the boys lived. He prayed he wouldn’t be too late. Buster must stay on guard until his return. Without his dog he’d be less recognisable. With a different jacket and cap, his kerchief round his face as if he’d got the toothache, he’d look like any other bloke on his way home after a hard day’s work.
Decision made, he swung his feet to the ground, nudging the dog out of the way as he did so. ‘You’ve to stop here, old fellow; take care of things for me. Don’t let anyone in, you hear me? I’m relying on you.’ The dog farted noisily then looked at his rear end in surprise. ‘Crikey that’s rich! Worse than the privy in here after that.’
He snatched up his old jacket and rammed his arms in and grabbed his spare cap. The sooner he got out in the fresh air the better. The smell was enough to choke a person. He locked the door from the outside, dropping the key in his waistcoat pocket.
This time he went up the stairs and out through the front door. Anyone lurking about on the off-chance of seeing him would likely not realise he was the one they were looking for. They’d be on the lookout for a boy with a big brown dog.
He strolled down the lane and out into Norton Folgate; the road was thick with folks about their business. He blended in a treat. No one would notice him as he threaded his way down towards Half Moon Street. He sauntered along, checking the names of the streets where he could see them, occasionally crossing the road to look on the other side. The more he knew about the vicinity the better. Such knowledge might keep him out of the hands of the law one day. He turned right into the lane he’d got to know so well. The usual crowd was heading for the pump wanting to be first in line when the water was turned on. He was lucky. From now on he could get his water twice a day from the pump in the yard. He didn’t reckon it was any cleaner, but at least he didn’t have to queue for it.
He kept his head down, wasn’t hailed by anyone, so thought he’d not been recognised. He kept his collar up as he slunk down the stinking alley that led to the doss house he’d been sharing until yesterday. Already this place seemed strange to him. The thought of going into the room he’d shared quite happily for the past months now filled him with horror. He hoped he’d not pick up too many fleas whilst he was there; his landlady wouldn’t take too kindly to him bringing in an infestation to her clean lodging house.
He slid in and along the foul passageway. He tapped on the door, the secret way, and heard a mumbled call to enter. Five faces gawped at him, mouths open, eyes wide.
‘Can I come in? I’ve come on me own. I left Buster looking after you know what back at me drum.’
Ginger recovered first. ‘Alfie, what’s up? I thought you ain’t coming here no more. We’ve got to lay low tonight – almost got nabbed after you’d gone. Someone shouted stop thief and there was bleedin’ bobbies everywhere. We split up and went over walls and round corners like rats up a drainpipe.’ He sniggered, and the others joined in. ‘What about you, you have any trouble?’
Alfie knew the gang expected him to flop down on the rags but he remained where he was with his back to the door, the only place where the boards were clear. ‘There’s something I got to tell you. You won’t like it, not one bit. That Silas Field is a miserable traitor. I reckon it was him shopped you. He was there, in the yard, spying on us.’
Fred who was idly picking a large scab on his knee stopped abruptly. ‘Silas Field give us up to the law? Don’t give me that – he’s one of us.’
‘I promise you, he’s not on your side. I was waiting for Buster, out of sight like, as I’d had the feeling I was being followed.’ He had their full attention now. ‘Then these two geezers came past. I heard them clear as day. That bastard sent them to take everything. He weren’t going to share it; he was going to take it all.’
Ginger punched the floor. ‘I knew it. I reckon he’d have blamed you, Alfie. Made us think you were the one what stole our goods.’
Piper asked the question Alfie was a dreading. ‘What happened? Did they get it all?’
‘Hell, no, Buster got them instead. One fainted after he tore into him; the other shit himself. I left them broken men.’
A chorus of approval rippled round the room. ‘Ginger, I’m afraid I got a bit carried away like. I told them I’d taken over from you, was the leader and that we was making our own arrangements in future.’
Instead of scowling Ginger screeched with mirth. ‘You taking over? You hear that, boys? You’d have us in the jug the first week and no mistake. Not to worry, Alfie, it was said in the heat of the moment like, no offence taken. You got the brains, and the brawn, but I got the knowledge, and that’s worth more round here.’
Nelson joined in the general chatter. ‘Alfie, have you looked yet? How much we got?’
‘I’ve not looked; it’s still in the pockets, hanging up as if it was the most normal jacket in the world. Buster’s guarding it. No one will get in my room when he’s there. I didn’t like to look, not when someone could walk past the window. When I get back tonight I’ll have a look-see; I reckon from the weight there’s a good haul.’
‘We’ve been working it out. We know roughly what we took, but not how much was in them purses. It was the best haul we’ve ever had and none of us got nicked neither.’ Ginger looked at the others before he continued. ‘I think we better move ourselves from this dump. It’s the first place Silas will send his men when we don’t turn up tomorrow morning with the goods. Any ideas, Alfie?’
He wasn’t going to offer them space in his room. Mrs Hunter would evict him straight away if this seedy, nit-infested group descended on her house. ‘I reckon you should move west. What about Chiswell Street? There’s a few yards and back alleys down there – you’d find a room soon enough and a lot better than this one too.’
He dipped into his pocket, pulling out his last remaining half-crown. ‘Here, take this. That should be enough to pay upfront for a few days. There’ll be a deal of cash in the pockets of my jacket, and once we’ve found somewhere to get rid of the other stuff, there’ll be more than enough to find you somewhere permanent.’
‘Nowhere decent’s going to take the likes of us. I’ve got crawlers the size of rats in me thatch!’
‘So’s the rest of us, Jim. We need new togs that’s for sure.’
‘You can get clobber like mine, Fred. You will need to have a wash, get rid of your livestock. I don’t reckon Field will recognise you when you’re clean and with decent boots on your feet.’
‘Cor! Who’d have thought it? We’re going up in the world and no mistake. Here, put this in the pot as well.’ Jim reached in his waistcoat pocket and produced a handful of coins. He tossed them over to Ginger.
Fred did the same. ‘Here, Ginger, have this as well. I reckon there’ll be enough to set us up proper if we spend everything we’ve got.’
‘Jim and I can buy what you need whilst the rest of you get cleaned up. The pump’s working. Nelson and Piper can go down with the buckets; we’ll take the money and find you some clobber.’
Alfie scooped up the handful of money before anyone could protest and skipped out of the door, Jim right behind him. He’d chosen him as he was the least verminous of the group. ‘Where to, Jim? You want to get moved before full dark.’
‘I ain’t keen on moving away, but I reckon we’ve got to if we want to stay alive. There’s a dolly shop not far from here – we’ll get what we need in there.’
Alfie returned, his arms laden with an assortment of garments for the boys, plus two pairs of boots hanging by the bootlaces round his neck; Jim was similarly festooned. Ginger and the gang were shivering in the yard.
‘You took your time. We’ve burnt our togs, and bin standing out here like jaybirds on display. Chuck us over somethink to put on, for Gawd’s sake.’
‘Good thing it ain’t winter then. What yer complaining about? It’s warm enough out here.’
‘Not if you got no bleedin’ clothes on and is soaking wet. Give us the clothes, Alfie; stop larking around.’
Alfie was glad they hadn’t returned to the room. ‘Here’s yours, Ginger. There’s boots, a shirt, these trousers, a waistcoat, and kerchief and cap. Look, we’ve even got you a pair of stockings.’
Ginger snatched the garments and dragged them on, his teeth chattering. His hair was dripping; obviously it had been given a thorough wash. Small wonder they were cold. Alfie and Jim doled out the other clothes. That just left Jim to wash and rake his hair with a nit comb. He’d still have the eggs, but if there weren’t any live crawlers that would be a bonus.
He was shocked to see how thin Jim was. You could play a tune on his ribs, and his body was startlingly white compared to the ingrained dirt on the rest of him. Amidst raucous laughter and ribald comments poor Jim had to complete his ablutions. Then he was dressed in plain clothes and relatively vermin-free. He tossed his old things into the brazier.
Ginger took command. ‘Right lads, if we’s going to dine we’d better get a move on.’ This was for the benefit of those watching. It wouldn’t do to let Ma Bishop know they were taking flight. Going out for a slap-up feast after a good day’s work seemed a reasonable explanation for all the washing and new clothes.
Outside they kept up the pretence, laughing and slapping each other on the back. This pantomime continued until they were a good distance from Half Moon Street and heading towards Bethlem Hospital.
Ginger called them together. ‘We want to be well away before Silas gets wind of what we’re about. I reckon we can leg it now. There’s no one knows us round here.’
Alfie wasn’t sure whether to troop along with them, discover where they were to live, or return to his lodgings. Fred decided the matter for him.
‘You come with us, Alfie. If we send you in first, I reckon we’ll get a decent room. You speak proper, like a real gent you are.’
The boys sped through Moorfields and out into Rope Maker’s Alley. This looked a likely place, but was too close to their old stamping ground to be safe. Alfie led them down Type Street and out into Chiswell Street, where he turned left. Ginger jogged up beside him.
‘I reckon somewhere up towards Playhouse Yard, or maybe the other side of Golden Lane. What do you think, Alfie? Is this far enough away?’
‘Do the boys ever come this direction when you’re working?’
‘I ain’t never come up here, but I know the names. Jim was born just off Red Cross Street, and he’s told us about its charms. But I ain’t never been here meself. So I reckon Silas and his boys won’t think to look for us round here.’
‘Will you have trouble with local gangs – moving in on their territory, like?’
‘We’ll keep our heads down for a bit, not bother no one until we see how the land lies.’
He raised his voice to shout back to the others who were trailing behind, not as fit as he and Ginger. ‘We need to get a move on. No landlady will take you in if it’s too dark for her to have a good squint at you.’ Amidst groans and complaints that they were knackered the others increased their pace.
‘Ginger, how much you got left to pay up front?’ Alfie had handed back the three shillings and sixpence, plus a few farthings he and Jim had left over after their shopping.
His friend counted what he had in his jacket pocket. ‘More than three pounds altogether, enough for a month in advance, and to purchase bedding and such, and a bite to eat tonight.’
Eventually they settled on Brackley Street, a small road off Golden Lane. It wasn’t as smart as Hog Lane, but then they would have looked out of place where he was.
He asked a couple of blokes standing around outside The Bell. They pointed to the third house in the terrace. It seemed there were a couple of decent rooms vacant there.
The landlady, a sharp-faced individual who reeked of mother’s ruin, gave the boys the once-over before giving her verdict. ‘How many are there needing accommodation?’
Alfie spoke up. ‘There’s five, missus. I have lodgings of me own elsewhere. I just brought them around like, to introduce them.’
She nodded as if this made sense. ‘I’ve two rooms in the attic. There’s a fireplace, but nothing else. No beds, shelves, nor pots and pans. Have they the wherewithal to purchase these?’
He spoke again. ‘They do, they’ve got the money, missus. Have you the stuff they want?’
‘As it happens, I do. I can let you have five decent palliasses to put on the floor, five blankets, clean enough, but seen better days. Then a few pots and pans so you can make yourself a cup of tea and things. Ain’t you even got a bucket to fetch the water from the pump?’
Ginger had advised against bringing anything with them in case Ma Bishop saw them. ‘I saw an ironmonger’s down the road. I’ll nip along and get what they want.’ The skinny woman nodded, satisfied with the deal. Ginger haggled a bit, then gave her a month’s rent in advance as well as the cash to purchase the other necessities.
He sent the gang along with the landlady to collect the mattresses, pots, pans and blankets but he followed Alfie to the shops. ‘What we need, Alfie, is a bucket to piss in. It’s too bleedin’ far to go all the way down from the top of the house to use the backyard privy. We’ll need another one to fetch the water from the pump.’
‘I hope you don’t get the two mixed up.’ Chuckling, Alfie ran down the narrow stairs and back out into the gas-lit street. ‘She didn’t mention a kettle, so you need to buy one of them as well if they ain’t too expensive. I saw a pie shop and a baker’s; get yourselves something decent to eat. I’ll go further afield and see if I can buy you tea and sugar. Just think, you’ll be able to make yourself a decent brew tonight for the first time.’
* * *
It was quite dark when he left them content in their new lodgings. It were a palace compared to the place they’d had before. If they bought a couple of old rag rugs, got something up over the little windows to keep out the worst of the draughts before the winter, with the fire going it would be snug up there.
Ginger had asked him not to look in the pockets that night, but bring the jacket round untouched at first light the next morning. It was something they should do together. He took a different route back, checking every so often he wasn’t being followed, and let himself in the back door without seeing any of his neighbours. Buster was overjoyed to see him. It was the first time he’d left the animal on his own and he’d been half expecting to find the room in tatters. The dog had done nothing more than sleep on his bed. That didn’t bother him one jot.
He didn’t need to cover the window so opened it instead, then threw the remaining coal on the fire and put his kettle on to boil. Several times his eyes drifted towards the jacket, but he restrained himself. He’d promised the boys he wouldn’t look, and he was a cove what kept his word.
The next morning he was up at dawn, put his jacket on and polished off the remaining bread and cheese, drinking cold tea to wash it down. Then, Buster at his side, he crept off, making sure he disturbed no one on the way out. He dodged in and out of alleyways, through fields, round back gardens, sometimes jogging, otherwise walking briskly. One of the boys would be waiting for him; he wondered who would have been given this task.
It was Piper, dozing contentedly on the steps in the early morning sunshine.
‘Morning, Piper. I hope that kettle’s on. I’m parched. Didn’t stop to make tea this morning.’
The boy scrambled to his feet. ‘I can’t tell you how pleased we are with our new drum. Like a palace it is. I ain’t never had a real mattress and me own blanket. Two rooms? What do we need all that space for, Alfie? You can’t stand straight, well, only in the middle, so I guess that’s why.’
The house was stirring, the smell of bacon frying, children whining, chairs scraping on bare boards, but they met no one on their way up the stairs to the attic hideaway.
Ginger greeted him as if they’d been apart months. ‘Alfie, we missed you. Things ain’t the same without you. It were right strange sleeping here. This room will take a bit of getting used to. Why don’t you move back with us? We ain’t comfortable somewhere smart like this.’
‘Remember, we mustn’t be seen together. Silas will be looking for a group of boys with a big dog, so it’s best for you to stay away from us until we’re sure he’s given up.’
He removed his coat and held it out in one hand. ‘Where we going to put the stuff? Shall we use your beds? Just in case anyone underneath hears what they shouldn’t.’
The five mattresses were dragged together in order to make a square in the centre of the attic. Alfie squatted down with them, giving his coat to Ginger. It was the leader’s job, not his. They took it in turns to pull something from a pocket like a lucky dip at a fairground. When they’d finished there was an impressive pile of pocket watches, purses and other geegaws.
‘Alfie, we’ve gone up in the world since we met you. You brought us good luck. So you can open the first purse.’
‘I’m honoured, Ginger. It’ll be my pleasure.’
He picked up the heaviest and carefully releasing the drawstring shook the contents onto the ticking mattress cover. His jaw dropped, his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. The group was silent, gazing at what lay glittering in front of them. The family below began a violent argument. Alfie ignored it.
‘Bugger me! There must be more than ten pounds here. Someone will be kicking up a fuss with the peelers over this one.’
Jim was right – it was a fortune. Alfie was appalled. He knew people got sent to the gallows for stealing that amount of money.