164 THE ANGLER'S GUIDE. 



teetotaller, had been prevailed upon to take a 

 dram by way of remedy, so that the liquid 

 spirits operating on the ghostly, they had 

 become quite light-hearted and merry, and 

 disposed for other sports as well as that of 

 angling. 



Rigings would wear his wide-awake in the 

 form we have mentioned, and not only so, but 

 he had begged two pins of an old woman, and 

 absolutely pinned the sides together, and stuck 

 the feather of a cock's tail, which he picked 

 up, in the front of it, and to all who took any 

 particular notice of him he made obeisance of 

 some kind or other. A recruiting sergeant 

 and his men commenced an attack on him, 

 but he poured in such a volley of sarcastic 

 abuse that they were soon glad to retreat; 

 and he finished it with an extemporary effu- 

 sion, which he gave in the middle of the road, 

 in style truly theatrical, and though it was 

 wild and laughable, it contained some remarks 

 that were by far too true. It ran thus 



" Avaunt ! ye minions of satanic ire, 

 With coats the colour of the blood ye spill, 

 And trimmings white and pallid as the flesh ye make , 

 "With swords of steel as cruel as your hands, 

 And bullets in your pouches, hard as are your hearts ; 

 With money in your pockets, little, as must be your souls, 



