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Brown and Rudy helped Gaffer Hugo up, helped him negotiate around the tables, and through the front door and into the courtyard. Snatch pranced along with. Mosy was waiting there, packs on his back, standing next to a platform. It was a gorgeous day! The sun was already halfway up the sky and there was not a cloud to be seen. A pleasant breeze soughed through,
Rudy and Brown helped Hugo up to the platform, then stood on it to help hoist him onto Mosy's back.
"Ready, one, two, three, up you go!" cried Rudy.
Gaffer helped with his one leg, and up he began, but suddenly a hand grabbed his chest somewhere inside and squeezed for all it was worth, and Hugo grimaced. His arms fell to his chest and he moaned. Brown and Rudy did not let him go as he sank to a sitting position on the platform. The hand in his chest just kept squeezing harder.
So this is it, then, Hugo thought to himself, I s'pose I was in for it sooner or later. Good-bye Rudy, good-bye Mira, good-bye Brown and Snatch and Mosy, good-bye all the rest of you.
Gaffer Hugo knew no more.
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