Dick Christian again. 53 



killed ; they all remembered it. Captain Barclay 

 stayed a deal about Melton when Brum- Captain Barclay 

 mell wur down at Belvoir. He was a and The Chicken 

 great man with " The Beau." You wouldn't have put 

 'em together, would you t I've known the Captain 

 drink broth from the kennel-boiler. Once, when he 

 wur walking those great matches on a road, he met a 

 regiment of soldiers ; they formed into two lines, and 

 let him pass, they thought so much of him. Such a 

 real John Bull ! He was never done talking of " The 

 Chicken." He was a miner, or something like that, 

 from Staffordshire or Dean Forest — blame me ! my 

 memory's so bad for them sort of dates. They 

 catches him, and brings him up to London. Captain 

 was down Holborn way, to meet him ; he was quite 

 amazed when he see him get off the coach, all out of 

 condition ; no form at all. He thought he'd been 

 done, they'd sent up such an account by post ; but he 

 put him on a good tap of porter, and he improved 

 wonderful. He was always a training of him, walk- 

 ing with him to keep him cheerful. Once two officers 

 at an inn were for pitching into 'em because they'd 

 got their breakfast-table ; the waiter just whispers 

 ''^Barclay and Chicken,'' and they waits to hear no 

 more. What curious expressions them fighting men 

 does use ! The Captain once tell me he overhear one 

 of 'em say, when he wanted a match, " Why zvon't you 

 fight If I never did aught to offend yer.'' -He used to 

 tell his stories, did the Captain, in quite a deep voice; 

 singular dry manner with him. Pleasant man, very ; 

 talk about The Chicken for everlasting. It 'uU not be 

 much above four years since he died. He was a 

 great farmer latterly, somewhere about Aberdeen. A 

 strange man for droll stories was the Captain ; go on 

 about his fighting dog, Trusty, for a week — all about 

 how those London men tries to do him. Blame me ! 

 if they didn't rub stuff on the other dog's back ; but 

 Trusty knew more than they did, for all they thinks 



