asantries, thought this behaviour very strange; but as he had some
relations close by the town, he resolved that he and Bob would spend the
night with them, and they told me they were most hospitably entertained.

On the next morning the father and son again called on the celebrated
Mr. Sharpe Vulture, and this time with better success, for that worthy
recommended that Mr. Leverett should first apply to a magistrate for a
warrant against Mr. Chanticleer; and, secondly, that Tom should commence
an action against him for the assault.

To both these courses old Leverett offered no opposition; and on Bob's
evidence Sir Simon Graveowl, a magistrate of noted wisdom, granted a
warrant against Chanticleer, which Mr. Sharpe Vulture immediately gave
to an active young policeman to execute. Now, it happened to be
market-day at Gloucester, and as Mr. Chanticleer was a large consumer of
barley, he usually attended the Corn Exchange during certain hours. This
the policeman knew; so no sooner had he received the warrant than he
walked straight to Mr. Chanticleer as he stood talking loudly to a large
circle of friends and neighbours,--old Mr. Drake, young Mr. Gosling, Mr.
Peacock, Mr. Pidgeon, Mr. Swann, and several others,--and forthwith
arrested him. Poor Mr. Chanticleer! how crest-fallen he looked! All his
crowing was stopped in a moment. He walked by the policeman's side in
silence, and looked as much like a culprit as any thief that was ever
found with the stolen goods in his possession.

The policeman, thrown off his guard by Chanticleer's quietness, walked
by his side without holding him, and of this my neighbour was not slow
to avail himself; for just as they had passed a narrow street, he
suddenly ran back, and, with a loud noise, flew along the pavement as if
twenty Sharpe Vultures were pursuing him. The policeman was not slow to
follow; and when the unfortunate Chanticleer was stopped by a sentinel
at the gate of the barracks, he seized his prisoner with such violence
by his red neck-tie, that he almost strangled him there and then.

Old Leverett chuckled to himself, and was greatly delighted to see
Chanticleer brought into the magistrate's room by two policemen, one
holding him tightly by each arm. Mr. Sharpe Vulture immediately brought
forward the accusation against the prisoner. Bob's evidence was taken:
it was declared that Tom was too unwell from the effects of the assault
to attend in person, and Mr. Chanticleer was