Page:Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.djvu/318

 CHAPTER XXIX

and Company did a lot of work that summer, not many big jobs but a lot of little ones, and the boy Bert was kept busy running from one to the other. He spent most of his time dragging a hand-cart with loads of paint, or planks and steps, and seldom went out to work with the men, for when he was not taking things out to the various places where the philanthropists were working, he was in the paint-shop at the yard, scraping out dirty paintpots or helping Crass to mix up colours. Although scarcely anyone seemed to notice it, the boy presented a truly pitiable spectacle. He was very pale and thin. Dragging the hand-cart did not help him to put on flesh, for the weather was very hot and the work made him sweat.

His home was right away on the other side of Windley. It took him more than three-quarters of an hour to walk to the shop, and as he had to be at work at six that meant that he must leave home at a few minutes past five every morning, so that he always got up about half past four.

About the middle of June Hunter met with an accident. He was tearing off to one of the jobs on his bicycle about five minutes to twelve, to see if he could catch anyone knocking off before the proper time, and while going down a rather steep hill his brakes failed to act, and to save himself from being smashed against the railings at the bottom of the hill, Misery threw himself off the machine, with the result that his head and face and hands were terribly cut and bruised. He was so badly knocked about that he had to remain at home for nearly three weeks, much to the delight of the men and the annoyance—not to say indignation—of Mr Rushton, who could not make out estimates without assistance. There were several jobs to be tendered for just at that time, so Rushton sent the specifications round to Hunter's house for him to 306