Page:Merry frolicks, or, The comical cheats of Swalpo, a notorious pick-pocket.pdf/17



HE Nobleman hearing him talk of picking of watches, deſired him to do it in his fight, Swalpo bid the Nobleman ſtand on his guard, and keep his watch with all the care he could, he would have it from him.

The Nobleman was then walking up and down the room for his eaſe; Swalpo was on his feet too, but it was good ſport to ſee my Lord give him the way every time they met. Swalpo deſired fome of the gentry to enter into a hot diſpute with my Lord, which they doing, my Lord began to be very earneſt, but ſtill kept his hand upon his watch. Swalpo laying hold on the firſt opportunity, gently tickles my lord with a Hen's feather under the right ear, which made him on a ſudden quit the watch to ſcratch himſelf, and, upon clapping his hand on his fob again, and perceiving it was gone, he immediately looks behind him, and ſees Swalpo bowing to him with the watch in his hand, and Roger laughing ſo loud, that for a quarter of an hour, it was in vain to ſpeak a word, he making ſo much a noiſe, one would have thought, as if it had been a man of war firing a broadſide, inſomuch that the com- pany