178 CONFESSIONS OP A HOESE DEALEB, 



gravey, for tu see our mister zebra a trying of his worry 

 best for tu git away from him, when he vos a punishing 

 on him ; he's werry cunning, sir, is the zebra, but not 

 so werry wicious, 'cept when his temper's riled; he 

 won't stand a riling much. Lor', you should a* seen 

 him when fust he vos let out o* the cage in Belgravey. 

 But before he vos let out o* the cage, Mister Rarey 

 strapped up one of his fore-legs, and put a gag-bit in 

 his mouth a piece of wood, nearly as thick as your 

 wrist, sir. This made the zebra kind of laugh like, 

 and he rolled his eyes round, and turned the whites on 



'em back, as much as tu say, ' D n you, Mister Earey, 



,but I'll see you jolly well sweated before I'll lie down 

 <,and make a fule o' myself to please the flats wot paid 

 you ten guineas each, for tu see me humbled with a 

 Yankee.' And blowed if he vos not as good as his 

 word or his thoughts which yer like, sir ; for arter 

 the three men wot vos a holding on him wi' ropes, had 

 left loose on him and cut their stick out o' the circus, 

 the game began, blowed if it didn't. Oh, crikey ! I 

 heerd all about it since, (for Barey vos tu cute tu let us 

 chaps see his caper), the zebra looked a kind o' sulky at 

 the Yankee, fust, like as if he vos a treatin* him wi' con- 

 tempt, but, my eyes, if he didn't soon begin tu find the 

 Yankee a teazer, arter all. The gittin* him in the box, 

 muzzling on him, and gagging him, riled his temper to 

 begin with, and when the Yankee began tu take liber- 

 ties with him, he screamed out as much as tu say, ' Tu 

 h 11 with you, let me alone ;' but the Yankee fastened 



