THE BAIT DETECTED. 375 



necessary; and, feeling quite certain that whatever 

 any pickpocket might be up to, he should be down on 

 the pickpocket, he left a good long corner of his hand- 

 kerchief hanging out of his pocket, and with (as he 

 thought) an apparent careless look sauntered before 

 the shop ready for a grab if the trap took. Now 

 mice we know have a predilection for toasted cheese, 

 so have pickpockets for handkerchiefs ; but they won't 

 always nibble, and it required a neater hand than 

 friend Oakapple's to bait for the latter marauders. 

 Judge his astonishment and mortification, when a 

 knowing-looking gentleman walked up to him, looked 

 him full in the face, and pointing to the decoy wipe, 

 clapped him on the shoulder, saying, with a derisive 

 smile, " It won't do, my old cock ! " Old cock ! what 

 a term to be applied to the head of the Oakapples, a 

 Justice of the Peace, and Lord of Green Goose Manor ! 

 Defeated, outwitted, and beat at his own weapons, he 

 could only look all he would have done; then but- 

 toned up the decoy tight in his coat-pocket, determined 

 that, as it was not taken as he wanted, it should not be 

 taken at all, and off in high dudgeon he moved home- 

 wards: but pickpockets, like Nickem, have various 

 little ways of doing business. Our worthy friend had 

 not proceeded many paces homewards, growling that 

 his handkerchief had remained in such security, when, 

 to alleviate his chagrin on this subject, whop came a 

 hand on the crown of his hat, down goes the hat over 

 his eyes, and while the decoy flew out of his pocket, 

 away went his watch out of his fob ; but, horror of 

 all horrors ! what did he hear ? " It will do now, old 

 cock ! " On getting his hat, which from its broken 

 lining had blinded him, to its proper elevation, he 

 saw half a dozen blackguards, large and small, grin- 



B B 4 



