m if he wanted to buy.
Sez he, 'How much?' Says I, 'Eight'n pence.' Sez he, 'Is them all yer
got?' Sez I, 'Yis.' Ye see, jest before this feller come up, I counted
'em and there was 'zactly 'lev'n. Then this 'ere feller he 'gun to paw
'em over, and kinder jumble 'em up together, which I thowt was wery
funny; and at last, sez he, 'Guess I won't take none this mornin'.' He
acted so kinder sneakin' that I thowt he wasn't all right, and 'fore he
got out of sight I counted the eels an' found one on 'em was missen. I
put for this 'ere feller and ketched him at the corner, an' I found my
'spicions was right, for on searchin' the chap I found a neel up in 'is
coat-sleeve.'

"_Judge._--How did he keep the eel up in his sleeve?

"_Mr. Skinner._--Well, that was done in a kinder 'genus way; he had a
fish'ook on the end of a line, an' the line was run up the right
coat-sleeve, over 'is shoulder, an' it come down inside of 'is coat on
the left side, an' he come up to the stand, an' wen he was a kinder
pawin' over the eels he was a ketchin' the fish'ook in the tail of the
eel, an' as soon as it was ketched in he pulled the line with his left
'and an' drawed the eel up inter 'is sleeve; an' as soon as it was
drawed up he stopped pawin' an' left, an' 'ere's the fish'ook an' line
wot I found on 'im; an' I think he oughter be sent to Blackwell's Island
for bein' a wagrant.

"_Judge._--Hook, what have you got to say for yourself?

"_Mr. Hook._--I 'aven't got nothin' to say honly I vos wery 'ungry and
vas a lookin' along in the market ven I 'appened to see the heels vot
this 'ere hold cock 'ad. Sez I to m'self, sez I, now, I'll hax the price
and mebbee the hole voman may vant von if they's cheap. Vell, I 'appened
t'ave a 'ook and line in my coat, vich I spose haccidentally got ketched
in von of the heels, and ven I left to go and tell the hole voman 'ow
cheap they vas, it 'ung on to the 'ook.

"_Judge._--That's a pretty story to tell me. Do you suppose I am going
to believe it?

"_Mr. Hook._--On the honor of a gentleman that vas the vay it 'appened.

"_Judge._--At any rate, I shall send you up for three months.

"_Mr. Hook._--Bust me, I honly vish you 'ad to try it three months
yourself, you vouldn't think it vas quite so funny.

"Mr. Palmerston Hook was conducted below.

"Another interesting feature of the proceedings during the morning grew
out of the case of Mr. Wallabout Warbler, whose name was the last
called.

"Mr. Warbl