cape. Of course, the audience tumbled to it that
the whole concern was a swindle, but they "bore up" well, and even seemed
satisfied with the swindle, for they had many good laughs out of it.
Spencer joined me on the road just out of Haworth, and together we
returned to Keighley.

AT HAWORTH AGAIN--FUNNY STORIES

As I remarked in the earlier part of the above incident, I had on a
former occasion figured in the large room attached to the Fleece Inn.
This occasion turned out a kind of "slope," though not so bad a one as
that already described. There happened to be staying in Keighley Wild's
Theatre, and John Spencer and I thought we could manage a bit of
"business" at Haworth. So we borrowed two costumes. Mine was a monkey
dress--a kind of skin covering for the whole body--which I had lent to me
by "Billy Shanteney." Spencer obtained the loan of a clown's dress. At
this time there was a drummer who lived in Wellington-street. He was well
known to Keighley folk as "Old Bill Heblett." Bill used to march the
streets in company with bands of music, and caused some amount of wonder
and amazement by throwing his drum-sticks into the air and catching them
between the beats. On this occasion we induced Heblett to lend us his
famed drum; so that with a monkey's and a clown's costumes, and a drum,
we were in a fair way of business. We had intended that the show should
consist of Spencer lifting heavy weights, and I was to amuse the audience
with jokes and funny stories. We went up to Haworth, engaged the rooms
from Mrs Stangcliffe, and borrowed the landlady's bed-curtains to hang
across the room to form a screen and so make the place look something
like a show-room. For footlights we fastened candles on the floor,
placing each candle between three nails.

THE BELLMAN'S SHAKESPEARE!

Then we engaged a fiddler who went by the name of Billy Frenchman--a
well-known character in Haworth at the time. Bill had been in the army
for some years. In his old age he had been appointed town's herald or
crier of Haworth. It was in this capacity that we engaged him to "cry"
our show about Haworth, before we turned out on parade. Billy told us to
write down what we wanted him to say, and this was our programme--"This
is to give notice to the public of Haworth and the surrounding
neighbourhood that a company of dramatic performers will appear tonight
at the Fleece Inn Garret. The performance to commence with Shakespeare's
comedy, 'Ka