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admission　to　the　Police；　do　you；　Bark？　…　Yes；　I　do！　　I　refuse　it　to

all　the　adjective　police；　and　to　all　the　adjective　substantives。

If　the　adjective　coves　in　the　kitchen　was　men；　they'd　come　up　now；

and　do　for　you！　　Shut　me　that　there　door！　says　Bark；　and　suddenly

we　are　enclosed　in　the　passage。　　They'd　come　up　and　do　for　you！

cries　Bark；　and　waits。　　Not　a　sound　in　the　kitchen！　　They'd　come　up

and　do　for　you！　cries　Bark　again；　and　waits。　　Not　a　sound　in　the

kitchen！　　We　are　shut　up；　half…a…dozen　of　us；　in　Bark's　house　in

the　innermost　recesses　of　the　worst　part　of　London；　in　the　dead　of

the　night　…　the　house　is　crammed　with　notorious　robbers　and

ruffians　…　and　not　a　man　stirs。　　No；　Bark。　　They　know　the　weight　of

the　law；　and　they　know　Inspector　Field　and　Co。　too　well。



We　leave　bully　Bark　to　subside　at　leisure　out　of　his　passion　and

his　trousers；　and；　I　dare　say；　to　be　inconveniently　reminded　of

this　little　brush　before　long。　　Black　and　Green　do　ordinary　duty

here；　and　look　serious。



As　to　White；　who　waits　on　Holborn　Hill　to　show　the　courts　that　are

eaten　out　of　Rotten　Gray's　Inn；　Lane；　where　other　lodging…houses

are；　and　where　（in　one　blind　alley）　the　Thieves'　Kitchen　and

Seminary　for　the　teaching　of　the　art　to　children　is；　the　night　has

so　worn　away；　being　now





almost　at　odds　with　morning；　which　is　which；





that　they　are　quiet；　and　no　light　shines　through　the　chinks　in　the

shutters。　　As　undistinctive　Death　will　come　here；　one　day；　sleep

comes　now。　　The　wicked　cease　from　troubling　sometimes；　even　in　this

life。







DOWN　WITH　THE　TIDE







A　VERY　dark　night　it　was；　and　bitter　cold；　the　east　wind　blowing

bleak；　and　bringing　with　it　stinging　particles　from　marsh；　and

moor；　and　fen　…　from　the　Great　Desert　and　Old　Egypt；　may　be。　　Some

of　the　component　parts　of　the　sharp…edged　vapour　that　came　flying

up　the　Thames　at　London　might　be　mummy…dust；　dry　atoms　from　the

Temple　at　Jerusalem；　camels'　foot…prints；　crocodiles'　hatching…

places；　loosened　grains　of　expression　from　the　visages　of　blunt…

nosed　sphynxes；　waifs　and　strays　from　caravans　of　turbaned

merchants；　vegetation　from　jungles；　frozen　snow　from　the　Himalayas。

O！　　It　was　very；　very　dark　upon　the　Thames；　and　it　was　bitter；

bitter　cold。



'And　yet；'　said　the　voice　within　the　great　pea…coat　at　my　side；

'you'll　have　seen　a　good　many　rivers；　too；　I　dare　say？'



'Truly；'　said　I；　'when　I　come　to　think　of　it；　not　a　few。　　From　the

Niagara；　downward　to　the　mountain　rivers　of　Italy；　which　are　like

the　national　spirit　…　very　tame；　or　chafing　suddenly　and　bursting

bounds；　only　to　dwindle　away　again。　　The　Moselle；　and　the　Rhine；

and　the　Rhone；　and　the　Seine；　and　the　Saone；　and　the　St。　Lawrence；

Mississippi；　and　Ohio；　and　the　Tiber；　the　Po；　and　the　Arno；　and　the

…　'



Peacoat　coughing　as　if　he　had　had　enough　of　that；　I　said　no　more。

I　could　have　carried　the　catalogue　on　to　a　teasing　length；　though；

if　I　had　been　in　the　cruel　mind。



'And　after　all；'　said　he；　'this　looks　so　dismal？'



'So　awful；'　I　returned；　'at　night。　　The　Seine　at　Paris　is　very

gloomy　too；　at　such　a　time；　and　is　probably　the　scene　of　far　more

crime　and　greater　wickedness；　but　this　river　looks　so　broad　and

vast；　so　murky　and　silent；　seems　such　an　image　of　death　in　the

midst　of　the　great　city's　life；　that　…　'



That　Peacoat　coughed　again。　　He　COULD　NOT　stand　my　holding　forth。



We　were　in　a　four…oared　Thames　Police　Galley；　lying　on　our　oars　in

the　deep　shadow　of　Southwark　Bridge　…　under　the　corner　arch　on　the

Surrey　side　…　having　come　down　with　the　tide　from　Vauxhall。　　We

were　fain　to　hold　on　pretty　tight；　though　close　in　shore；　for　the

river　was　swollen　and　the　tide　running　down　very　strong。　　We　were

watching　certain　water…rats　of　human　growth；　and　lay　in　the　deep

shade　as　quiet　as　mice；　our　light　hidden　and　our　scraps　of

conversation　carried　on　in　whispers。　　Above　us；　the　massive　iron

girders　of　the　arch　were　faintly　visible；　and　below　us　its

ponderous　shadow　seemed　to　sink　down　to　the　bottom　of　the　stream。



We　had　been　lying　here　some　half　an　hour。　　With　our　backs　to　the

wind；　it　is　true；　but　the　wind　being　in　a　determined　temper　blew

straight　through　us；　and　would　not　take　the　trouble　to　go　round。　　I

would　have　boarded　a　fireship　to　get　into　action；　and　mildly

suggested　as　much　to　my　friend　Pea。



'No　doubt；'　says　he　as　patiently　as　possible；　'but　shore…going

tactics　wouldn't　do　with　us。　　River…thieves　can　always　get　rid　of

stolen　property　in　a　moment　by　dropping　it　overboard。　　We　want　to

take　them　WITH　the　property；　so　we　lurk　about　and　come　out　upon　'em

sharp。　　If　they　see　us　or　hear　us；　over　it　goes。'



Pea's　wisdom　being　indisputable；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to

sit　there　and　be　blown　through；　for　another　half…hour。　　The　water…

rats　thinking　it　wise　to　abscond　at　the　end　of　that　time　without

commission　of　felony；　we　shot　out；　disappointed；　with　the　tide。



'Grim　they　look；　don't　they？'　said　Pea；　seeing　me　glance　over　my

shoulder　at　the　lights　upon　the　bridge；　and　downward　at　their　long

crooked　reflections　in　the　river。



'Very；'　said　I；　'and　make　one　think　with　a　shudder　of　Suicides。

What　a　night　for　a　dreadful　leap　from　that　parapet！'



'Aye；　but　Waterloo's　the　favourite　bridge　for　making　holes　in　the

water　from；'　returned　Pea。　　'By　the　bye　…　avast　pulling；　lads！　…

would　you　like　to　speak　to　Waterloo　on　the　subject？'



My　face　confessing　a　surprised　desire　to　have　some　friendly

conversation　with　Waterloo　Bridge；　and　my　friend　Pea　being　the　most

obliging　of　men；　we　put　about；　pulled　out　of　the　force　of　the

stream；　and　in　place　of　going　at　great　speed　with　the　tide；　began

to　strive　against　it；　close　in　shore　again。　　Every　colour　but　black

seemed　to　have　departed　from　the　world。　　The　air　was　black；　the

water　was　black；　the　barges　and　hulks　were　black；　the　piles　were

black；　the　buildings　were　black；　the　shadows　were　only　a　deeper

shade　of　black　upon　a　black　ground。　　Here　and　there；　a　coal　fire　in

an　iron　cresset　blazed　upon　a　wharf；　but；　one　knew　that　it　too　had

been　black　a　little　while　ago；　and　would　be　black　again　soon。

Uncomfortable　rushes　of　water　suggestive　of　gurgling　and　drowning；

ghostly　rattlings　of　iron　chains；　dismal　clankings　of　discordant

engines；　formed　the　music　that　accompanied　the　dip　of　our　oars　and

their　rattling　in　the　rowlocks。　　Even　the　noises　had　a　black　sound

to　me　…　as　the　trumpet　sounded　red　to　the　blind　man。



Our　dexterous　boat's　crew　made　nothing　of　the　tide；　and　pulled　us

gallantly　up　to　Waterloo　Bridge。　　Here　Pea　and　I　disembarked；

passed　under　the　black　stone　archway；　and　climbed　the　steep　stone

steps。　　Within　a　few　feet　of　their　summit；　Pea　presented　me　to

Waterloo　（or　an　eminent　toll…taker　representing　that　structure）；

muffled　up　to　the　eyes　in　a　thick　shawl；　and　amply　great…coated　and

fur…capped。



Waterloo　received　us　with　cordiality；　and　observed　of　the　night

that　it　was　'a　Searcher。'　　He　had　been　originally　called　the　Strand

Bridge；　he　informed　us；　but　had　received　his　present　name　at　the

suggestion　of　the　proprietors；　when　Parliament　had　resolved　to　vote

three　hundred　thousand　pound　for　the　erection　of　a　monument　in

honour　of　the　victory。　　Parliament　took　the　hint　（said　Waterloo；

with　the　least　flavour　of　misanthropy）　and　saved　the　money。　　Of

course　the　late　Duke　of　Wellington　was　the　first　passenger；　and　of

course　he　paid　his　penny；　and　of　course　a　noble　lord　preserved　it

evermore。　　The　treadle　and　index　at　the　toll…house　（a　most

ingenious　contrivance　for　rendering　fraud　impossible）；　were

invented　by　Mr。　Lethbridge；　then　property…man　at　Drury　Lane

Theatre。



Was　it　suicide；　we　wanted　to　know　about？　said　Waterloo。　　Ha！　　Well；

he　had　seen　a　good　deal　of　that　work；　he　did　assure　us。　　He　had

prevented　some。　　Why；　one　day　a　woman；　poorish　looking；　came　in

between　the　hatch；　slapped　down　a　penny；　and　wanted　to　go　on

without　the　change！　　Waterloo　suspected　this；　and　says　to　his　mate；

'give　an　eye　to　the　gate；'　and　bolted　after　her。　　She　had　got　to

the　third　seat　between　the　piers；　and　was　on　the　parapet　just　a

going　over；　when　he　caught　her　and　gave　her　in　charge。　　At　the

police　office　next　morning；　she　said　it　was　along　of　trouble　and　a

bad　husband。



'Likely　enough；'　observed　Waterloo　to　Pea　and　myself；　as　he

adjusted　his　chin　in　his　shawl。　　'There's　a　deal　of　trouble　about；

you　see　…　and　bad　husbands　too！'



Another　time；　a　young　woman　at　twelve　o'clock　in　the　open　day；　got

through；　darted　along；　and；　before　Waterloo　could　come　near　her；

jumped　upon　the　parapet；　and　shot　herself　over　sideways。　　Alarm

given；　watermen　put　off；　lucky　escape。　…　Clothes　buoyed　her　up。



'This　is　where　it　is；'　said　Waterloo。　　'If　people　jump　off　straight

forwards　from　the　middle　of　the　parapet　of　the　bays　of　the　bridge；

they　are　seldom　killed　by　drowning；　but　are　smashed；　poor　things；

that's　what　THEY　are；　they　dash　themselves　upon　the　buttress　of　the

bridge。　　But　you　jump　off；'　said　Waterloo　to　me；　putting　his　fore…

finger　in　a　button…hole　of　my　great…coat；　'you　jump　off　from　the

side　of　the　bay；　and　you'll　tumble；　true；　into　the　stream　under　the

arch。　　What　you　have　got　to　do；　is　to　mind　how　you　jump　in！　　There

was　poor　Tom　Steele　from　Dublin。　　Didn't　dive！　　Bless　you；　didn't

dive　at　all！　　Fell　down　so　flat　into　the　water；　that　he　broke　his

breast…bone；　and　lived　two　days！'



I　asked　Waterloo　if　there　were　a　favourite　side　of　his　bridge　for

this　dreadful　purpose？　　He　reflected；　and　thought　yes；　there　was。

He　should　say　the　Surrey　side。



Three　decent…looking　men　went　through　one　day；　soberly　and　quietly；

and　went　on　abreast　for　about　a　dozen　yards：　when　the　middle　one；

he　sung　out；　all　of　a　sudden；　'Here　goes；　Jack！'　and　was　over　in　a

minute。



Body　found？　　Well。　　Waterloo　didn't　rightly　recollect　about　that。

They　were　compositors；　THEY　were。



He　considered