the ragged trousered philanthropists-第97节

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s　part　he　would　be　very　sorry　if　they　did　not　have　one　this　year。　　Last　year　they　had　four　brakes；　and　they　went　to　Tubberton　Village。

It　was　true　that　there　was　nothing　much　to　see　at　Tubberton；　but　there　was　one　thing　they　could　rely　on　getting　there　that　they　could　not　be　sure　of　getting　for　the　same　money　anywhere　else；　and　that　was　…　a　good　feed。　　（Applause。）　　Just　for　the　sake　of　getting　on　with　the　business；　he　would　propose　that　they　decide　to　go　to　Tubberton；　and　that　a　committee　be　appointed　to　make　arrangements　…　about　the　dinner　…　with　the　landlord　of　the　Queen　Elizabeth's　Head　at　that　place。

Philpot　seconded　the　motion；　and　Payne　was　about　to　call　for　a　show　of　hands　when　Harlow　rose　to　a　point　of　order。　　It　appeared　to　him　that　they　were　getting　on　a　bit　too　fast。　　The　proper　way　to　do　this　business　was　first　to　take　the　feeling　of　the　meeting　as　to　whether　they　wished　to　have　a　Beano　at　all；　and　then；　if　the　meeting　was　in　favour　of　it；　they　could　decide　where　they　were　to　go；　and　whether　they　would　have　a　whole　day　or　only　half　a　day。

The　Semi…drunk　said　that　he　didn't　care　a　dreadful　expression　where　they　went：　he　was　willing　to　abide　by　the　decision　of　the　majority。　（Applause。）　　It　was　a　matter　of　indifference　to　him　whether　they　had　a　day；　or　half　a　day；　or　two　days；　he　was　agreeable　to　anything。

Easton　suggested　that　a　special　saloon　carriage　might　be　engaged；　and　they　could　go　and　visit　Madame　Tussaud's　Waxworks。　　He　had　never　been　to　that　place　and　had　often　wished　to　see　it。　　But　Philpot　objected　that　if　they　went　there；　Madame　Tussaud's　might　be　unwilling　to　let　them　out　again。

Bundy　endorsed　the　remarks　that　had　fallen　from　Crass　with　reference　to　Tubberton。　　He　did　not　care　where　they　went；　they　would　never　get　such　a　good　spread　for　the　money　as　they　did　last　year　at　the　Queen　Elizabeth。　　（Cheers。）

The　chairman　said　that。　he　remembered　the　last　Beano　very　well。　　They　had　half　a　day　…　left　off　work　on　Saturday　at　twelve　instead　of　one　…　so　there　was　only　one　hour's　wages　lost　…　they　went　home；　had　a　wash　and　changed　their　clothes；　and　got　up　to　the　Cricketers；　where　the　brakes　was　waiting；　at　one。　　Then　they　had　the　two　hours'　drive　to　Tubberton；　stopping　on　the　way　for　drinks　at　the　Blue　Lion；　the　Warrior's　Head；　the　Bird　in　Hand；　the　Dewdrop　Inn　and　the　World　Turned　Upside　Down。　　（Applause。）　　They　arrived　at　the　Queen　Elizabeth　at　three…thirty；　and　the　dinner　was　ready；　and　it　was　one　of　the　finest　blow…outs　he　had　ever　had。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　There　was　soup；　vegetables；　roast　beef；　roast　mutton；　lamb　and　mint　sauce；　plum　duff；　Yorkshire；　and　a　lot　more。　　The　landlord　of　the　Elizabeth　kept　as　good　a　drop　of　beer　as　anyone　could　wish　to　drink；　and　as　for　the　teetotallers；　they　could　have　tea；　coffee　or　ginger　beer。

Having　thus　made　another　start；　Payne　found　it　very　difficult　to　leave　off；　and　was　proceeding　to　relate　further　details　of　the　last　Beano　when　Harlow　again　rose　up　from　his　heap　of　shavings　and　said　he　wished　to　call　the　chairman　to　order。　　（Hear；　hear。）　　What　the　hell　was　the　use　of　all　this　discussion　before　they　h&d　even　decided　to　have　a　Beano　at　all！　　Was　the　meeting　in　favour　of　a　Beano　or　not？　　That　was　the　question。

A　prolonged　and　awkward　silence　followed。　　Everyone　was　very　uncomfortable；　looking　stolidly　on　the　ground　or　staring　straight　in　front　of　them。

At　last　Easton　broke　the　silence　by　suggesting　that　it　would　not　be　a　bad　plan　if　someone　was　to　make　a　motion　that　a　Beano　be　held。　　This　was　greeted　with　a　general　murmur　of　‘Hear；　hear；'　followed　by　another　awkward　pause；　and　then　the　chairman　asked　Easton　if　he　would　move　a　resolution　to　that　effect。　　After　some　hesitation；　Easton　agreed；　and　formally　moved：　‘That　this　meeting　is　in　favour　of　a　Beano。'

The　Semi…drunk　said　that；　in　order　to　get　on　with　the　business；　he　would　second　the　resolution。　　But　meantime；　several　arguments　had　broken　out　between　the　advocates　of　different　places；　and　several　men　began　to　relate　anecdotes　of　previous　Beanos。　　Nearly　everyone　was　speaking　at　once　and　it　was　some　time　before　the　chairman　was　able　to　put　the　resolution。　　Finding　it　impossible　to　make　his　voice　heard　above　the　uproar；　he　began　to　hammer　on　the　bench　with　a　wooden　mallet；　and　to　shout　requests　for　order；　but　this　only　served　to　increase　the　din。　　Some　of　them　looked　at　him　curiously　and　wondered　what　was　the　matter　with　him；　but　the　majority　were　so　interested　in　their　own　arguments　that　they　did　not　notice　him　at　all。

Whilst　the　chairman　was　trying　to　get　the　attention　of　the　meeting　in　order　to　put　the　question；　Bundy　had　become　involved　in　an　argument　with　several　of　the　new　hands　who　claimed　to　know　of　an　even　better　place　than　the　Queen　Elizabeth；　a　pub　called　‘The　New　Found　Out'；　at　Mirkfield；　a　few　miles　further　on　than　Tubberton；　and　another　individual　joined　in　the　dispute；　alleging　that　a　house　called　‘The　Three　Loggerheads'　at　Slushton…cum…Dryditch　was　the　finest　place　for　a　Beano　within　a　hundred　miles　of　Mugsborough。　　He　went　there　last　year　with　Pushem　and　Driver's　crowd；　and　they　had　roast　beef；　goose；　jam　tarts；　mince　pies；　sardines；　blancmange；　calves'　feet　jelly　and　one　pint　for　each　man　was　included　in　the　cost　of　the　dinner。　　In　the　middle　of　the　discussion；　they　noticed　that　most　of　the　others　were　holding　up　their　hands；　so　to　show　there　was　no　ill　feeling　they　held　up　theirs　also　and　then　the　chairman　declared　it　was　carried　unanimously。

Bundy　said　he　would　like　to　ask　the　chairman　to　read　out　the　resolution　which　had　just　been　passed；　as　he　had　not　caught　the　words。

The　chairman　replied　that　there　was　no　written　resolution。　　The　motion　was　just　to　express　the　feeling　of　this　meeting　as　to　whether　there　was　to　be　an　outing　or　not。

Bundy　said　he　was　only　asking　a　civil　question；　a　point　of　information：　all　he　wanted　to　know　was；　what　was　the　terms　of　the　resolution？　　Was　they　in　favour　of　the　Beano　or　not？

The　chairman　responded　that　the　meeting　was　unanimously　in　favour。　（Applause。）

Harlow　said　that　the　next　thing　to　be　done　was　to　decide　upon　the　date。　　Crass　suggested　the　last　Saturday　in　August。　　That　would　give　them　plenty　of　time　to　pay　in。

Sawkins　asked　whether　it　was　proposed　to　have　a　day　or　only　half　a　day。　　He　himself　was　in　favour　of　the　whole　day。　　It　would　only　mean　losing　a　morning's　work。　　It　was　hardly　worth　going　at　all　if　they　only　had　half　the　day。

The　Semi…drunk　remarked　that　he　had　just　thought　of　a　very　good　place　to　go　if　they　decided　to　have　a　change。　　Three　years　ago　he　was　working　for　Dauber　and　Botchit　and　they　went　to　‘The　First　In　and　the　Last　Out'　at　Bashford。　　It　was　a　very　small　place；　but　there　was　a　field　where　you　could　have　a　game　of　cricket　or　football；　and　the　dinner　was　A1　at　Lloyds。　　There　was　also　a　skittle　alley　attached　to　the　pub　and　no　charge　was　made　for　the　use　of　it。　　There　was　a　bit　of　a　river　there；　and　one　of　the　chaps　got　so　drunk　that　he　went　orf　his　onion　and　jumped　into　the　water；　and　when　they　got　him　out　the　village　policeman　locked　him　up；　and　the　next　day　he　was　took　before　the　beak　and　fined　two　pounds　or　a　month's　hard　labour　for　trying　to　commit　suicide。

Easton　pointed　out　that　there　was　another　way　to　look　at　it：　supposing　they　decided　to　have　the　Beano；　he　supposed　it　would　come　to　about　six　shillings　a　head。　　If　they　had　it　at　the　end　of　August　and　started　paying　in　now；　say　a　tanner　a　week；　they　would　have　plenty　of　time　to　make　up　the　amount；　but　supposing　the　work　fell　off　and　some　of　them　got　the　push？

Crass　said　that　in　that　case　a　man　could　either　have　his　money　back　or　he　could　leave　it；　and　continue　his　payments　even　if　he　were　working　for　some　other　firm；　the　fact　that　he　was　off　from　Rushton's　would　not　prevent　him　from　going　to　the　Beano。

Harlow　proposed　that　they　decide　to　go　to　the　Queen　Elizabeth　the　same　as　last　year；　and　that　they　have　half　a　day。

Philpot　said　that；　in　order　to　get　on　with　the　business；　he　would　second　the　resolution。

Bundy　suggested　…　as　an　amendment　…。　that　it　should　be　a　whole　day；　starting　from　the　Cricketers　at　nine　in　the　morning；　and　Sawkins　said　that；　in　order　to　get　on　with　the　business；　he　would　second　the　amendment。

One　of　the　new　hands　said　he　wished　to　move　another　amendment。　　He　proposed　to　strike　out　the　Queen　Elizabeth　and　substitute　the　Three　Loggerheads。

The　Chairman　…　after　a　pause　…　inquired　if　there　were　any　seconder　to　this；　and　the　Semi…drunk　said　that；　although　he　did　not　care　much　where　they　went；　still；　to　get　on　with　the　business；　he　would　second　the　amendment；　although　for　his　own　part　he　would　prefer　to　go　to　the　‘First　In　and　Last　Out'　at　Bashford。

The　new　hand　offered　to　withdraw　his　suggestion　re　the　Three　Loggerheads　in　favour　of　the　Semi…drunks　proposition；　but　the　latter　said　it　didn't　matter；　it　could　go　as　it　was。

As　it　was　getting　rather　late；　several　men　went　home；　and　cries　of　‘Put　the　question'　began　to　be　heard　on　all　sides；　the　chairman　accordingly　was　proceeding　to　put　Harlow's　proposition　when　the　new　hand　interrupted　him　by　pointing　out　that　it　was　his　duty　as　chairman　to　put　the　amendments　first。　　This　produced　another　long　discussion；　in　the　course　of　which　a　very　tall；　thin　man　who　had　a　har