e that looked as
though he had survived his kindred and had already lived beyond his day.
Jorrocks, however, saw him differently, and his eyes glistened as
he came within range of his gun. A well-timed shot ends poor Tom's
miseries! He springs into the air, and with a melancholy scream rolls
neck over heels. Knowing that Pompey would infallibly spoil him if he
got up first, Jorrocks, without waiting to load, was in the act of
starting off to pick him up, when, at the first step, he found himself
in the grasp of a Herculean monster, something between a coal-heaver and
a gamekeeper, who had been secreted behind the shed. Nosey Browne, who
had been watching his movements, holloaed out to Jorrocks to "hold
hard," who stood motionless, on the spot from whence he fired, and
Browne was speedily alongside of him. "You are on Squire Cheatum's
estate," said the man; "and I have authority to take up all poachers and
persons found unlawfully trespassing; what's your name?" "He's not on
Cheatum's estate," said Browne. "He is," said the man. "You're a liar,"
said Browne. "You're another," said the man. And so they went on; for
when such gentlemen meet, compliments pass current. At length the keeper
pulled out a foot-rule, and keeping Jorrocks in the same position he
caught him, he set-to to measure the distance of his foot from the
boundary, taking off in a line from the shed; when it certainly did
appear that the length of a big toe was across the mark, and putting up
his measure again, he insisted upon taking Jorrocks before a magistrate
for the trespass. Of course, no objection could be made, and they all
adjourned to Mr. Boreem's, when the whole case was laid before him. To
cut a long matter short--after hearing the pros and cons, and referring
to the Act of Parliament, his worship decided that a trespass had been
committed; and though, he said, it went against the grain to do so, he
fined Jorrocks in the mitigated penalty of one pound one.

This was a sad damper to our heroes, who returned to the castle with
their prog untouched and no great appetite for dinner. Being only a
family party, when Mrs. B---- retired, the subject naturally turned upon
the morning's mishap, and at every glass of port Jorrocks waxed more
valiant, until he swore he would appeal against the "conwiction"; and
remaining in the same mind when he awoke the next morning, he took the
Temple in his way to St. Botolph Lane and had six-and-eightpence worth
with M