THE LAST OF THE PIG-TAILS. 195 



face of the joiner, who, with open knife was preparing to cut it off. 

 He felt the doom of his importance sealed. He struggled, and 

 loosed himself from his grasp, only to be the more forcibly held ; 

 their eyes again met, the joiner had nearly secured the tail — the 

 next moment, and all was over ; a cry of joy from the joiner, 

 followed by a terrific shriek from Richard, announced the fearful 

 tale that he had been shorn of his triumph. His loud shriek 

 had the effect of allaying the struggle for a moment, thinking that 

 he had been seriously hurt, bnt the joiner holding up in triumph 

 the trophy of his valour, a loud burst of laughter and ridicule 

 followed, and he was allowed to sneak his way home again. 

 Richard went home a changed man, he saw that he had lived too long, 

 in Hjill at least; he must decamp, how could he meet his fellow 

 townsmen shorn of his tail, the thing was impossible, and then to 

 lose it in so ignominious a manner, the very idea almost broke his 

 heart and that very night he made preparations for setting off by the 

 early coach which used to leave Barton water-side in the morning 

 for London. No more was seen of Sagg alive in Hull; at length 

 news arrived of his death, he drooped ever after he lost his pig-tail ; 

 on his death-bed he wished his bones to repose in Trinity Church, 

 in Hull, and a neat marble slab close to the centre of the altar rails 

 marks the spot where his mortal remains lie entombed. 



The expression of " Go to Dickey Sagg" was current in Hull 

 many years after, but the circumstance of its origin having 

 gradually died away ; it has ceased for some time to be current, 

 though we yet occasionally hear it, when it always calls up to our 

 mind the man whose histor}- we have briefly sketched. 



But what became of the pig- tail ? Why the joiner kept it lor many 

 years, left it as a legacy to one of his children, and it is now in the 

 possession of the joiner's grandchild and we are happy to inform our 

 readers that he intends presenting it to the Hair Dressers' Society, 

 which is now being established in Hull, under the title of the "Hull 

 Latherum Association." In the mean time it is now laid for inspec- 

 tion in the Museum and the curator, who is a very nice man, is very 

 courteous in shewing it to all visitors and giving a short sketch of its 

 history. Be sore you go and see it. 



