FIFTY YEARS OF A SHOWMAN'S LIFE 



that it had a sort of hankering after bad company. 

 My father carried it about with him for fifteen 

 years after the incident just narrated, and then 

 finally lost it within a few yards of his own house. 

 Proceedings had been taken at Petty Sessions 

 against a party of prize-fighters for a breach of 

 the peace, and a number of their friends came to 

 Court with them to support them by their presence. 

 The principals were heavily fined, and there was 

 a good deal of commotion when they were brought 

 back to the police station. My father went out 

 to see what was the matter, and on his return 

 found his watch chain loosely dangling, but could 

 not discover his watch at the end of it. He 

 promptly gave information of his loss to the 

 police, who informed him that he was the third 

 gentleman who had made a similar report within 

 the last five minutes. It transpired that the 

 pugilists, having every reason to believe that 

 they would be convicted, brought down with 

 them a contingent of professional pickpockets, 

 whose business it was to procure the amount of 

 the fines by abstracting the value from the pockets 

 of the general public. This time the watch 

 permanently substantiated a claim to be " a 

 good goer," for it went once and for all, so far 

 as my father was concerned. 



There is a sequel to this story which, perhaps, 

 ought to be told. My father did not like losing 

 his watch, and declared he would not have 

 another good one. So he bought quite a cheap 

 timepiece, which came into my hands at his death. 

 Having a watch of my own, I did not use my 

 father's, but simply let it rest among other 



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