a
play. But oh!--but oh!" she cried, stretching her arms high over her
head, "'twas a goodly frolic, sis! I felt a three-centuries' fasting
lust for it, in good sooth!"

Rebecca clutched her sister by the arm and shook her.

"Phoebe Wise--Phoebe Wise!" she cried, looking anxiously into her
face, "wake up now--wake up! What in the universal airth----"

A loud shout cut her short, and the two sisters turned amazed.

"The bull! The bull!"

There was an opening in the crowd as four men approached leading and
driving a huge angry bull, which was secured by a ring in his nose to
which ropes were attached. Another man followed, dragged forward by
three fierce bull-dogs in a leash.

The bull was quickly tied to a stout post in the street, and the crowd
formed a circle closely surrounding the bull-ring. It was the famous
bull-ring of Blackman Street in Southwark.

A moment later the dogs were freed, and amid their hoarse baying and
growling and the deep roaring of their adversary, the baiting began--the
chief sport of high and low in the merry days of good Queen Bess.

The sisters found themselves in the front of the throng surrounding the
raging beasts, and, before she knew it, Rebecca saw one of the dogs
caught on the horns of the bull and tossed, yelping and bleeding, into
the air.

For one moment she stood aghast in the midst of the delighted crowd of
shouting onlookers. Then she turned and fiercely elbowed her way
outward, followed by her sister.

"Come 'long--come 'long, Phoebe!" she cried. "We'll soon put a stop to
this! I'll find the selectmen o' this town an' see ef this cruelty to
animals is agoin' on right here in open daylight. I guess the's laws o'
some kind here, ef it _is_ Bethlehem or Babylon!"

Hot with indignation, the still protesting woman reached the outskirts
of the throng and looked about her. Close at hand a tall, swaggering
fellow was loafing about. He was dressed in yellow from head to foot,
save where his doublet and hose were slashed with dirty red at elbows,
shoulders, and hips. A dirty ruff was around his neck, and on his head
he wore a great shapeless hat peaked up in front.

"Hey, mister!" cried Rebecca, addressing this worthy. "Can you tell me
where I can find one o' the selectmen?"

The stranger paused in his walk and glanced first at Rebecca and then,
with evidently increased interest, at Phoebe.

"Selectmen?" he asked. "Who hath selected them, dame?"

He gazed quizzically at