Олівер Твіст

Chapter 10

           Seeingtheboyscuddingawayatsucharapidpace,heverynaturallyconcludedhimtobethedepredator;andshouting‘Stopthief!’withallhismight,madeoffafterhim,bookinhand.

           Buttheoldgentlemanwasnottheonlypersonwhoraisedthehue-and-cry.TheDodgerandMasterBates,unwillingtoattractpublicattentionbyrunningdowntheopenstreet,hadmerelyreturedintotheveryfirstdoorwayroundthecorner.Theynosoonerheardthecry,andsawOliverrunning,than,guessingexactlyhowthematterstood,theyissuedforthwithgreatpromptitude;and,shouting‘Stopthief!’too,joinedinthepursuitlikegoodcitizens.

           AlthoughOliverhadbeenbroughtupbyphilosophers,hewasnottheoreticallyacquaintedwiththebeautifulaxiomthatself-preservationisthefirstlawofnature.Ifhehadbeen,perhapshewouldhavebeenpreparedforthis.Notbeingprepared,however,italarmedhimthemore;soawayhewentlikethewind,withtheoldgentlemanandthetwoboysroaringandshoutingbehindhim.

           ‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’Thereisamagicinthesound.Thetradesmanleaveshiscounter,andthecar-manhiswaggon;thebutcherthrowsdownhistray;thebakerhisbasket;themilkmanhispail;theerrand-boyhisparcels;theschool-boyhismarbles;thepaviourhispickaxe;thechildhisbattledore.Awaytheyrun,pell-mell,helter-skelter,slap-dash:tearing,yelling,screaming,knockingdownthepassengersastheyturnthecorners,rousingupthedogs,andastonishingthefowls:andstreets,squares,andcourts,re-echowiththesound.

           ‘Stopthief!Stopthief!’Thecryistakenupbyahundredvoices,andthecrowdaccumulateateveryturning.Awaytheyfly,splashingthroughthemud,andrattlingalongthepavements:

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