Addressing myself to them I inquired how long they had been in their present position.
"Best part of an hour, guv'ner," said one of them, pushing his hands deep down into his pockets, and executing a sort of double shuffle as he spoke.

"Ain't doin' any harm 'ere, I 'ope.

We was 'opin' as 'ow a gent like yourself would come along in the course of the evening just to ask us if we was thirsty, and wot we'd take for to squench it." "You shall have something to squench it, if you can answer the questions I am going to ask you," I replied.

"Did either of you see a gentleman come down this street, running, about half-an-hour or so ago." "Was he carrying a rug and a bag ?" asked one of the men without hesitation.
"He was," I replied.

"He is the man I want.