Litchfield enquirer., 1874-06-18
paid me, and next time he came he says.

Isdseable man. and has got your wits abeut you; take contraek under me. ' says he. '''Aint got the brass, Mir. Fra- cey. says l. 'Ill lend you some," he says, ''enough to start you; no interest to pay; but, mark you, shall look for my
 money back some day" And with that he wrote me out check for hundred. Now Sam had great fancy for public
 house, and Tracey helped him too, so he and 1 parted. But afore then Sal and I
 was welded; and with Sal took to Bos, the curiy-haired dog as had been her fa- thers, q valyble animal, sir, as hunted si- lent, and brought me in many hare and rabbit in days gone by.
 | did pretty we'll as q sub on the whole: ups and downs. and sometimes only bread and cheese for my pains, with pound or two. to the good now and then to pay back Mr. Tracey. Sam didn't do as well | Tn the pubic hne-made break of it, in fact, and then came back among his old pals, and kept sort of a sly grog shop. We'll. I'd been working good piece with Mir. Tracey in Ireland, starvation sort of job, as melancholy business as ever knowed. When we'd got through that, heard as Mir. Tracey was making a line in Wales. Thinks I, that's working home like: so I takes the steamer to Holy head and jogs along to the wars. Tracey
 was working this job at both ends. with one set at this end in Blamarginshire and another at the t'Other end in Magonyshire. We'll, l saw there wasn't likely job for me in Blamarginshire, and so | worked on through the country. I may tell you 1 heard of Sam, as was doing bit of bus mess among the lads, but I didn't trouble to look him up, not being over friendly with him just then.
 Howsoever I took Q stifish cutting at the other side of the country, Magony- shire end you know. and soon repented of my job, can tell you. never see such mixed sort of place as that Wales.
 Everything higgledy piggledy. gravel and rock, slate and rubbidge all twisted up anyhow. There was no lodgings to be had near our cutting, so we made q sort of a camp, row of huts, as we christen- ed Prospect Villas. And with there be- ing no town near, Sal set up shop to sell groceries and pork and so on. Itwas a thing Mir. Tracey set his face against in general way, any of us subs setting up shop. ''Tain't right for the men," he'd say, ''and it's the beginning of truckwork as I can't abide" But in this case he'd nothing to say against it. ''Only." says, he, "Bob, don't you go to selling drink. " Which l didn't, except as 1t might be to a friend, you know.
 We hadn' been there long who should turn up, one day, but Sam, my wife's s brother. He was big lump of chap, just like myself, and about the same height. "Tm in bit of trouble, Bob,' says he; ''lend us pound or two, and get us run on to Brummagem. And he stayed a night with me, and took him off afore daylight, and got him on the bal last engine as was working on the line, and then he was all right. never axed him what the trouble was as he'd got into; it wouldn't "a been polite, you know; and Sam never told me, only that it was in Blamarginshire, where he'd been doing a bit of business among the nayyies as was working nt the other end of MT. Tracey s line.
 l was standing atop of the bank, one day. looking over the men as was filling set of wagons for the tip. The road ran close by, and gig was coming along, and 1 thought for minute 1t was Grinwell. our gaffer, coming to have look at us: and stumped off to the road to meet him, But it wasn't him, but rather solemn looking chap, with frill of black whisk- CTS round his face. And he stops and passes the time of day with me. ''Been in the army ?" says he, pointing to my leg. sNo," says I; ''fall of rock.' And he seemed to prick up his ears at that, and asked me lot of questions as to how it happened, and so on. And then he be- gins admiring my leg-the wooden 'un- and would mind putting it upon the step for him to see. s'Ah," says he .sa nice bit of timber that; and them letters, why, you've got your initials on it, I see: F. l.. B. Thank'ee; good day." says he. and drives off sharp. as if to make up for lost time.
 We'll, me and Sal was having our tea that night atop of the counter-we was a bit squeezed for.room, there being only the shop and 6 back parlor and little cook-house, and four or five lodgers. and the children and Bos-and knock came at the door, and Bos he sets a-barking.
 like mad. Come in," says I. with my mouth full of bread and cheese: and in walks two policeman and the gent I'd seen in the gig in the morning. ssThere's your prisoner" says he to the police; .'take him off" '.Why; what have 1 done ?" says I, my heart sinking lnto my boot. "Oh," he says, selling liauor without license" '.But," says-for my mind wasn't quite clear as mightn't have transfxed the law, through being too careful to go as near to it as might be without breaking it-says I, 's 's'Ain't I to have my trial " 'sTrial nonsense r' says he. ''Who are you ?'' I says. s.Are you kings. lords, and commons, and judge and jury, too P says I. Says he, s.I'm the su- peryisor of the excise, my boy; and here's the warrant to take you to prison. You know all about it; so it's no use pretend ing you don't" We'll, Sal cried, and Bos howled, and the children screamed. and some of my men began to get wind of what was up, and gathered about the door. Hook sharp, says the exciseman; stheyH be trying rescue next" And with that they hurried me out, and across the line to where dog-cart was waiting, and away we went. And presently we came to . town called Lanpigstie, or some such name as that. Now, it so happened as knew man there. a lawyer-a regu- lar hearty sort of chap-as was doing Q bit of work for Mir. Tracey; and spoke up, and said, ssYOu must let me see my lawyer. Your lawyer" sneered the po- lice; who's your lawyer ?' .Why, Mir. David Evans,' I said. And with that there was . whispering going on; and presently they said as they'd stop for half an hour at the Goat, and bait the horse; and I might send for the lawyer, if I pleased. And so M-. David came to see me, as was sitting in the tap-roem, as gum as you please, between two police men.
 Why, policemen 7 says he, as soon as he saw me, sswhat's all this about?" s.Rey- senue case. say they. sI.et's look at your warrant 2 says he; and he turns it over in his hands. s.AlI right, says he. # Now. what do you want me to dol" turn ing t0 mo. We'll, SIT, want to have my triaI like m EngIishman, 7 says L .sBut. , he said it tells me there, in that paper, as you have been convicted already before the magistrates of the county of Rlamar- ginallire. ' Never, says |; ..no. such thing ! never hal my trial. ' ssWell, tint doesn't matfer, he says; eff you get ont of the Way and don't appear, you 've only yourself Co thank. sThatss difi- cult to prove," he says, dryly. eff they sWenr you wna, unless you can make out
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