had
his eccentricities had Billy Speak. One peculiarity about him in the eyes
of the townspeople was that he was seldom, if ever, seen abroad in the
daytime; but at night he always appeared to be very busy. Of course
rumour is rumour; but some people went so far as to say when his "trade"
was slack, Billy would not object to opening a gate and allowing the
animals in the field to come out upon the highway, thus affording a nice
capture for the pinfold. It was also said that the pinder had received
many sound thrashings from farmers whom he had met at night for these
little acts of misdemeanour. In this connection I may mention that on one
occasion a goose belonging to Jerry Wells was placed in the pinfold
(which was then in Coney lane) by Billy. The walls of the pound, however,
were so low that Jerry's goose flew over them, and went away--the pinder
did not know where. Now, old Jerry Wells was a man who enjoyed a good
"lark"; and although his goose had come home, he sued Billy in the County
Court, on the 12th January, 1853, for "clappin' his gooise in'tat'
pinfowd." How the case ended I forget; but I think it would teach the too
ardent pinder a valuable lesson. Now, for a long time Billy had to go
without a uniform, but at last Barney McVay and others said it was a
shame that anyone holding an official position of this kind should not be
provided with a uniform. So that a public subscription was started, and
the pinder--to enable him the better to uphold the dignity of his
office--was presented with a uniform; and at the same time opportunity
was taken to uniform the town's crier, Jack Moore, who kept the "Dusty
Miller," at Damside. The question of suitable headgear was a momentous
and difficult one, but eventually a helmet was selected for the pinder,
with a cocked hat for the town's crier. "Bawk" did not live long to enjoy
his uniform. He died in May, 1875, and was followed to the grave by his
wife a few days afterwards.

ADVENTURE WITH A SHARK

It was in 1872 that James Leach and David Hey and myself purchased a
large shark at Hull. The shark had apparently been harpooned at sea, and
washed into the Humber. It was secured by some fishermen, and they
offered it for sale by public auction. A brother of George Swire, of
Keighley, chanced to be in Hull at the time, and hearing of the sale, he
sent word to us at Keighley about it. My friend Leach--who would be close
upon sixty years old at the time--was deputed to