282 REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 



how useful they had been in the hour of need, but somehow he 

 did not seem to rise to this, a consultation was then held as to 

 whether they were not now justified in shooting, but on ex- 

 amining the bullets all came to the conclusion that as it would 

 take about a thousand to kill the brute, they would only add to 

 his rage by trying to pot at him with such apologies for 

 Beecham's pills. 



Was there ever a corner of the world where the gentle 

 loafer is not to be found ? Sonepore even is not without him, 

 and at this critical moment a voice was heard from behind a 

 bamboo tope, with an accent unmistakeably that of White- 

 chapel and a miserably clad filthy looking individual emerged 

 from the shade " Good h'evening gents/' he observed taking off 

 the remnants of a billy cock. "Hi don't know much of these 

 ere Hingin helerfunts, but I'v bin hin H'africa were hi was 

 wallet to Mister Gorden Commin, hand 'igh hold times we'ad 

 there, Lord ! 'e was a shooter such guns and bullets, not like 

 these ere Manchester men's peashooters ; crikey vere 'e it ha 

 helephunt, vy the beast blowed hup hat vunce, and hall yer 

 J ad to do was to go and pick hup your chorp or stake, 

 ready grilled an J ot from the 'eat of the powder. But the 

 H'africuns, thems the boys. V'en they goes hout ' untin ' 

 they haint got no guns, bless you, not them ; they just 

 as ha' 'andful of sand in their modesty clorths, hand a bow 

 and harrers in their 'ands, hup they goes to the helefunt and 

 chucks the sand in is hies, till the pore brute 'olds hup his 

 trunk, hopens 'is mouth and 'oilers in hagony ; then hin they 

 shoots the harrers, not in a crowd but vun by vun consecketive- 

 ly, heach hafter the hother till the helerfunt drops dead huppon 

 the plain hand then they dewours the wictim of their hartifice." 

 While being treated to this discourse Mr. Slack was cogitat- 

 ing deeply and at last in an impressive voice he burst forth 

 " Gentlemen and gallant officers of the Manchester Regiment, 

 however efficacious the custom of elephant catching as related 



