334 AUSTRALIA AND HOMEWARD. 



ton, taking it into his hand and putting it into his 

 vest pocket, counting out five sovereigns and handing 

 them to the man. " I should very much like to know 

 how I lost it," said he ; " can you tell me ?" " Oh, yes," 

 said the man. " Do you remember a dog-fight on such 

 a corner ? When you were looking over the shoulders 

 of some persons to see what the disturbance in the 

 street was about, do you remember a man staggering 

 up against you just as I do now ? " "I do," said he. 

 " Well," said the man, " that was when you lost your 

 watch. I am much obliged for the five pounds. Good 

 day." Away he went, and Sir Morton returned to 

 his company, to discover, to his astonishment, that 

 the fellow had robbed him again of his watch while 

 showing him how he had done it a few days before. 



Some of their slang may be interesting to those 

 not accustomed to hearing it, or seeing it now and 

 then in police court reports : burglary is breaking a 

 drum ; breaking a square of glass, starring the glaze ; 

 three years' imprisonment, a stretch; six months', 

 half a stretch; three months', a tail piece; bad 

 money, sinker; stolen property, swag ; stealing lead 

 from a roof, flying the blue pigeon; midnight 

 prowlers who rob drunken men, bug hunters ; enter- 

 ing a house while the family is at church, dead lurk ; 

 convicted of stealing and sentenced, in for a vamp ; 



