soon reached Parliament
Street on the confines of Nottingham, and passing Saint Anne's Well,
they entered through Bridlesmith's Gate the broad market-place. This
was, then as now, the widest open space in the town, and had many fine
mansions standing round it. On their left was that long thoroughfare
called the Pavement, with the grim old castle walls at the farther end,
and the sparkling Trent on the other side; while close to them were
butchers' and other shops, as well as those of the handicraftsmen, from
which the different entrances on that side of the once fortified town
took their names.

As Mr Harwood and his daughter emerged from the somewhat ill-paved and
narrow street into the broad market-place, their ears were assailed by
loud cries and shouts of men and boys, numbers of whom were issuing from
the narrow passages which led out of Parliament Street, while from doors
and windows appeared eager faces of spectators bending forward to
ascertain the cause of the disturbance. The shouts, mingled with the
barking of dogs, grew louder and louder, till they approached the Squire
and his daughter. Now the mob was seen to move in one direction, and
now in another.

"It is nothing, I believe, but some apprentice-lads baiting an ox,"
observed Mr Harwood as they moved forward.

Just at that moment the crowd, with a pack of barking dogs, came rushing
on helter-skelter in hot pursuit of a brindled cow--so it seemed--whose
heels its canine tormentors were ever and anon attacking, making it
start forward with the pain they inflicted. At the same time a youth
with his coat off and a stick in his hand was endeavouring to drive off
the dogs, and shouting to the mob of rough-looking apprentices who were
urging them on, to desist from the pursuit. His orders were, however,
treated with but little attention, for the mob of lads and boys
extending for some distance on either side continued their shouts and
cries, with peals of laughter at the frantic movements of the unhappy
animal. So completely was the road blocked up that Mr Harwood and his
daughter were compelled to turn back to avoid them. Just, however, as
they were about to do so, the maddened cow dashed forward, and before
Alethea could turn her horse, its horns had struck the animal's side,
and caught the skirt of her riding-dress. Dashing on, it would have
dragged her from her seat, had not the young man who had been attempting
to save the creature from its to