them. Many were the scrapes into which they brought me, and it
was in consequence of one of these that I and a female companion whose
acquaintance I had made started one morning on the tramp for
Middlesborough.

CHAPTER VIII

A WOOING EXPEDITION AND ITS SEQUEL

In the last chapter I told how I started on "the tramp" with a female
companion to Middlesborough. It was early in the morning when we turned
our backs upon Keighley for the North. We trudged by road to Otley,
Ripley, and Ripon, Thirsk and on to Stockton-on-Tees. Here my petticoat
companion was so tired and weary that I left her, having secured her
lodgings with an old lady, who agreed to take care of her until my
return; my intention being to get work and a home in Middlesborough, and
then to fetch my partner thither.

FAMILY TROUBLES AT MIDDLESBOROUGH

I pushed on to Middlesborough, but was "flabbergasted" to find the girl's
uncle and several cousins--male, and all upgrown (!)--awaiting my
arrival! It turned out that they had been apprised of my probable arrival
by a letter from the girl's parents at Keighley. It was "blood and
thunder" for a few minutes when they saw me, and the uncle was fairly
exasperated to find that his niece was not with me. "What have you done
with her?" he asked, excitedly. "Have you drowned her?" I besought him to
"be quiet," and then I would tell him all about it. So he was quiet, and
I told him where I had left the girl. There were three sons with the
uncle, and the four received my story with distrust--they would see their
cousin that night they declared. Thus, my position was getting pretty
hot, and there was nothing for it but to return to Stockton. This
conclusion vexed me sore, for with my tired and weary frame I was
well-nigh ready to drop; but I saw there was no other way out of the
situation. I had already met three friends I knew in Middlesborough, the
three brothers O'Gorman--I had made their acquaintance some time
previously at Keighley--and they agreed to walk back with me to
Stockton-on-Tees. The girl's uncle and her three cousins made the party
into eight--a veritable cavalcade in quest of a poor, defenceless woman.
We got to Stockton all right, and the uncle and his sons took the girl in
charge, while I was left with my three friends, the O'Gormans, to do as I
liked. What was more, I was robbed of all opportunities of communing with
the "erstwhile companion of my choice"--

Who afterwards bec