Year: 1875

Tor me, and just as 1 was gong u
drink it the landlord come along
and knocks the Jug clean out of my
hand. Well, no sooner was he
knocked down himself than in come
the policeman and there was a
row.


He was taken before the bench
of magistrates, who knew him we'll
and who had often dealt with
him.


EsThere was one of them," contin-
ues Bendigo, "a hearty John Bull
kind Of a man, that I took a likin'
to, and 7 used always try and get
round and generally managed it,
putting the matter to him in a man
to-man kind of way, dye see; but
there was another, a vinegar-look-
ing, narrow-jawed cove, who was
always hard on me. Well, T made
my story out pretty well, and made
'em laugh a bit, and, thought I, I
shall get off light this time; but I
| din't. Said my friend on the bench:
sBendigo, when you're sober you are
one of the incest men in Noting
ham, but when you're drunk you
amt; therefore you will go to pris-
on for two months, and aferward
give bail to keep the peace for three
months longer Well, somehow
that sentence seemed to knock me
over more than any of the twenty
seven I had served before, and I
took to thinking what a fool I was
not to live quiet and comfortable
on my pound a week like another
man. Yes; a pound a week-that's S
| what I've got to live on. Did /
| save it upe NotI; Icouldnt save.
No; what I did when I was making
a heap Of money in the ring was
to hand it over to my brother, on
condition that he always give me a
pound a week, and that's how it
| comes. p -. ~.


While in prison he attended the
regular service every Sunday, and
| first had his attention attracted by
the minister's account "of the set-to
between David and Goliath" He
became so absorbed in hearing how
David, the little un, ,foored the
giant and killed him." that he forgot
where he. was, and shouted out
| 'Brayvo! I'm glad the little un
Won" When he got to his cell he
began, to think seriously about
| what he had heard, and could not
avoid the conclusion that 'Fsomebody
must have helped David to lick the
giant"


"Well," he continues, ''it was as
singular as though it was done on
purpose? The very next Sunday
the parson preached another ser.
mon, which seemed hitting at me
harder than the one the week before
It was all about the three men Shad
rach, Meshach, and Bendigo, who
was cast into the fiery furnace, and
who was saved by the Lord from
being burnt. Oh, yes, I've heard
about that since; it wasn't exactly
Bendigo who was the third man
but the name sounded like it to me
and I took it as such, though
didn't say anything to anybody. L
one Bendigo can be saved why not
another ?" I said to myself, and ]
thought about it a great deal
Sunday after Sunday [ looked out
for something about me in the ser
mon, and there it always was. AT
ter the one about the fiery furnace
came one about the twelve fisher
men. Now, I'm a fisherman myself
Bless you? I should rather think
was, one Of the best in England
Well, after that came another ser
mon about the seven hundred left
handed men in the Book Of Judges
and I am left-handed man. Vi
course I am. It was that what bea1
the knowing ones I have had tc
stand up against. Well, it was
this always going on that made me
make up my mind to turn as soon
as ever l got out. It was on a
Thursday, and in the winter, and
when I was let out at the gaol door
there was my old friends kindly
come to meet me. Come along:
Bendy, old boy they said, we've
got something to eat and something
to drink for you already. Come
along ButIhad made UP my mind
and wasn't to be shook so I turn
ed round, and I sez, Look here, ]
never will eat or drink along with
you or along with any man in pub
! r