426 GAME LAWS. 



neighbourhood of Whitechapel, Shoreditch, Tottenham- 

 court Road, and Westminster; outposts about Greenwich, 

 Ball's Pond (a noted place on the right of the North 

 Road), Lisson Grove, and Paddington; and a rendezvous, 

 in Long-acre, for drinking and business. I have been 

 told that their chief consul is an old stager of forty 

 years' standing, who is nearly blind, and worn out ; but 

 of this I cannot answer for the truth. 



Their system is brought to such perfection, that if 

 your dog only turns round a corner, out of your sight, 

 he is liable to be instantly enticed away, at a rapid pace, 



by the never-failing means of . Their plan 



is to take the dog off to one of the most distant of the 

 dens, from where the robbery is committed, and there 

 keep him, in safe and close confinement, till the " cus- 

 tomer," as they term it, shall advertise a reward amount- 

 ing to what they think rather more than half the value; 

 or, to use their own words, " chanted" at a price that 

 will "fetch" him. On this being offered, you will 

 generally recover your dog ; because their agent of the 

 district, who is always on the look-out for " chants" 

 will either go or send to you with the joyful tidings of 

 your favourite ; pretending, at the same time, with an 

 oily tongue and pious face, that he gets nothing by it, 

 " except vot your honour will be pleased to give" him 

 " for" his " trouble," in addition to the advertised re- 

 ward. But the man who actually steals the dog never 

 appears in the business ; by which he avoids all risk of 

 being " had up." The club find that this plan answers 

 much better, and is less liable to detection, than offering 

 the dogs for sale ; particularly as they frequently get 

 possession of the same dog several times. There have 

 been instances of their being paid fifteen guineas, in 



