A STAG IN THE STREET 47 



and two very pretty young ladies looked out, full of sweet pity 

 for the deer and bland commiseration ! They had scarcely 

 uttered, " Poor dear thing ! " when, cap in hand, I instantly 

 joined issue, and implored them "to have the sti'eet door 

 opened, or the innocent and graceful animal would be killed.'" 

 I knew if the door could be got open he would back into the 

 passage, and I should have him safe. With the most perfect 

 simplicity and kind good -humour, they answered, "Oh yes;" 

 when, to my horror, the coated arm of a cauliflower or powdered 

 head, the legs belonging to which were cased in what seemed to 

 be black sticking-plaster breeches, seized the prettiest of the 

 girls by her well-turned shoulder and, cannoning her against her 

 sistei", rudely pushed them both back. " Yes, indeed ! " cried 

 the voice of a prim but choleric and elderly gentleman, the sort 

 of man who breakfasts in what I should deem a dinner costume. 

 " Let him in, I say ! " " Hear me, my good fellow ■" (this was 

 addressed to me) ; " instead of letting him in, I'll let you in for 

 it, if you don't instantly take yom- animal away. Take him 

 away, 1 say ; you'll get nothing here, and have no right with 

 your shows to collect a rabble about my door. Be off, or I'll 

 send for the beadle." 



The indignation of the old gentleman, and the idea he 

 seemed possessed with that I was a showman with an animal 

 that would, perhaps, dance on its hind -legs to please the 

 company for halfpence, was so ludicrously irresistible to Elmore, 

 Bean, and several of the London dealers who were with me (I 

 think we had enlarged the deer at Kingsbury Springs or at a 

 farm of Elmore's), that we all together broke out in a roar of 

 laughter. This so angered the old gentleman that he slammed 

 down the window and disappeai-ed, I suppose in search of the 

 beadle. A\1iile this was going on some butchers' boys had come 

 up, and taking a tray from one of them by way of shield, with 

 the aid of the by-standers I ran in on the stag and secured him. 

 A board, if it is long enough to cover the form, is a never- 

 failing protection against the savagest stag. He evidently fears 

 that the board is solid, and that, if he charged it, he would 



