Page:The London Guide and Stranger's Safeguard.djvu/95

Rh to take part and carney with them; and hereupon in the way to the gin shop, while there, or at coming out, they purloin meat, halfpence, or if the incautious novice produces his purse, they prefer that, and its scanty contents.

I one Saturday night saw a fellow at this game in Whitecross Street, and wishing to be in it, I got into a lot of about a dozen old women, every one of them more or less snuffy, but they were purloined of pieces of meat by the shabby fellow, who declared himself an officer, "and talked about his authority;" but he was below my "cut," and I blinked him, as there was no one there worth "doing." Well pleased was I to see a little man step up to him, and after demanding what authority he meant, squared at him,—took him a topper, and a breast-cut; and afterwards, with the assistance of the patrol, he was conveyed to the watch house in Bunhill Row. Here he was frisked of his eatables, and stood the gammon well as ever I saw; but he got clear off, because has was known to two of the Worship Street Traps, who were in attendance there; and they broiled the stolen mutton, while the gentleman who had fibbed him was fined a half gallon for his interference. This mutton-thief turned out to be a Nose to one of these officers,