THE PROPHET GABRIEL 



' As sure as my name 's John Jorrocks, there 's 

 goin' to be rain,' observed our worthy master, 

 scrutinising the bird. 'As sure as my name's 

 John Jorrocks, there 's goin' to be rain,' repeated 

 he. * Pe-pe-pe-pe-pe-pe ! ' exclaimed he, scraping 

 the crumbs from the bottom of his pockets and 

 throwing them to his prophet. 



Gabriel Junks rushed from his retreat, and 

 having picked up the crumbs, stood eyeing Mr. 

 Jorrocks with a head-on-one-side sort of leer, 

 which he at length broke off by another loud 

 scream, and then a rattling spread of his tail. 

 Mr. Jorrocks and the bird were thus standing 

 vis-a-vis when James Pigg made his appear- 

 ance. 



' I '11 lay a guinea 'at to a 'alf-crown gossamer, 

 there's goin' to be rain,' said Mr. Jorrocks to 

 his huntsman, pointing to the bird. 



'Deil bon me if ar care,' replied Pigg; 'ar 

 hasn't gettin ne seeds, nor nothin' maybe 

 Deavilbogers wad like a sup,' his mind harking 

 back to ' canny Newcassel.' 



183 



