Page:Merry frolicks, or, The comical cheats of Swalpo, a notorious pick-pocket.pdf/23

 he had improved mightily ſince he was at Bartholomew Fair. Ay, ſays Roger, Swalpo could not cheat me now of my broad piece. How! ſays Swalpo, do you challenge your maſter? obſerve what a fancy ſcholer I have got. Well, Roger, to ſhew the lady you afforded ſome ſport, let us conclude with a droll. Your piece is mine in a quarter of an hour, keep it as well as you can. All the craft lies in the catching of it, ſays Roger, threatned folks live long, do your worſt, devil. With that he jumps from the table, and runs into the next room. He ſoon comes in again without his breeches, for he carried them at the top of his long oaken plant, ſo that Swalpo could not reach them. The gentry laughed at the ſight, but when he turned his back, they ſaw his ſhirt was painted behind with a deal of yellow, brown and black, the black was by drinking over night; then they redoubled their laughter.

In the mean time Swalpo cauſes his boy to bring him ſome cow itch, mixed with a little horſe-hair. After they had both ſhewed many antic poſtures, Swalpo pretended to make for the breeches, and Roger avoiding him, Swalpo, by a ſign, cauſed his boy to lift up the tail of Roger's ſhirt, and anoint him well with the cow-itch; then pretending