man who accompanied him to repeat to the Mayor his heartfelt thanks for
the forbearance and generosity with which he had been treated. The
remembrance of this, he said, should be ever present with him, and he was
confident would protect him if his unhappy monomania shewed any signs of
returning.

"Let us now, however, remind our readers that the poacher who threatened
Professors Hanky and Panky's life on Thursday evening last is still at
large. He is evidently a man of desperate character, and it is to be
hoped that our fellow-citizens will give immediate information at the
Ranger's office if they see any stranger in the neighbourhood of the
preserves whom they may have reasonable grounds for suspecting.

"P.S.--As we are on the point of going to press we learn that a dangerous
lunatic, who has been for some years confined in the Clearwater asylum,
succeeded in escaping on the night of Wednesday last, and it is surmised
with much probability, that this was the man who threatened the two
Professors on Thursday evening. His being alone, his having dared to
light a fire, probably to cook quails which he had been driven to kill
from stress of hunger, the respectability of his dress, and the fury with
which he would have attacked the two Professors single-handed, but for
Professor Hanky's presence of mind in giving him a knock-down blow, all
point in the direction of thinking that he was no true poacher, but, what
is even more dangerous--a madman at large. We have not received any
particulars as to the man's appearance, nor the clothes he was wearing,
but we have little doubt that these will confirm the surmise to which we
now give publicity. If it is correct it becomes doubly incumbent on all
our fellow-citizens to be both on the watch, and on their guard.

"We may add that the man was fully believed to have taken the direction
towards the capital; hence no attempts were made to look for him in the
neighbourhood of Sunch'ston, until news of the threatened attack on the
Professors led the keeper of the asylum to feel confident that he had
hitherto been on a wrong scent."

CHAPTER XXIII: MY FATHER IS ESCORTED TO THE MAYOR'S HOUSE, AND IS
INTRODUCED TO A FUTURE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

My father said he was followed to the Mayor's house by a good many
people, whom the Mayor's sons in vain tried to get rid of. One or two of
these still persisted in saying he was the Sunchild--whereon another
said, "But his hair is bla