So, gaining knowledge from my previous experience, I changed my position so as to get in the front of some sturdy-looking men who were all standing with their hands in their pockets chinking their money.

I had yet to learn that they were costermongers waiting for prices to come down.
Directly after _whiz_! came something close by my head and struck one of the men in the face, with the result that he made a dash at the boys, who darted away in and out among the baskets, whooping and yelling defiance; but one ran right into the arms of a man in uniform, who gave him three or four sharp cuts with a cane and sent him howling away.
This episode was hardly over before Ike was back, and he nodded as he said: "He's coming direckly to sell us off." "Shall you be able to sell the things, then, this morning ?" "Sell 'em! I should just think we shall; well too.

There's precious little in the market to-day." "Little!" I exclaimed.

"Why, I thought there would be too much for ours to be wanted." "Bless your young innocence! this is nothing.

Bad times for the costers, my boy; they'll get nothing cheap.