Page:Life of Daniel Dancer Esq..pdf/21

 for then they would get in at the windows."

In order to employ the attention of the marauders, until he should escape to his hiding place, he was accustomed to strew the ground floor with farthings and sixpenceswrapped up in paper.

Dancer, about six years before his death, during a hot summer's day, was observed bya neighbour very assiduously employed in throwing water from a pool, by means of afrying-pan, on the surrounding meadow which happened to be burnt up. On being questioned as to the object of his labours, he observed, "that he wanted a bit of nice fresh grass for his old horse, for hay being then very dear, a poor body ought to be sparing of it." The same person, returning in three or four hours afterwards found the old man in tears, and, on inquiring the cause was informed, "that he had worked with the frying pan until he was tired, when falling asleep on the grass, some rogue had stolen a pocket-book from him containing three hundred and fifty pounds in bank notes, which he had received the day before for some ricks of hay that he sold."

Having been once reluctantly bound over by a magistrate to prosecute a horse stealer at Aylesbury assizes, he set out with a respectable neighbour, who undertook to accompany him. Himself and his horse, on this occasion exhibited a grotesque appearance, for the