ity dinner, at which His Majesty was to be
present--swore he would steal the carp, and asked me to go with him. I
had heard of the gentleman's fondness for his creature, and begged him to
let it be, advising him to go and steal some other fish; but old Fulcher
swore, and said he would have the carp, although its master should hang
himself; I told him he might go by himself, but he took his son and stole
the carp, which weighed seventeen pounds. Old Fulcher got thirty
shillings for the carp, which I afterwards heard was much admired and
relished by His Majesty. The master, however, of the carp, on losing his
favourite, became more melancholy than ever, and in a little time hanged
himself. 'What's sport for one, is death to another,' I once heard at
the village school read out of a copy-book.

"This was the last larceny old Fulcher ever committed. He could keep his
neck always out of the noose, but he could not always keep his leg out of
the trap. A few nights after, having removed to a distance, he went to
an osier car in order to steal some osiers for his basket-making, for he
never bought any. I followed a little way behind. Old Fulcher had
frequently stolen osiers out of the car whilst in the neighbourhood, but
during his absence the property, of which the car was part, had been let
to a young gentleman, a great hand for preserving game. Old Fulcher had
not got far into the car before he put his foot into a man-trap. Hearing
old Fulcher shriek, I ran up, and found him in a dreadful condition.
Putting a large stick which I carried into the jaws of the trap, I
contrived to prize them open, and get old Fulcher's leg out, but the leg
was broken. So I ran to the caravan and told young Fulcher of what had
happened, and he and I went and helped his father home. A doctor was
sent for, who said that it was necessary to take the leg off, but old
Fulcher, being very much afraid of pain, said it should not be taken off,
and the doctor went away; but after some days, old Fulcher becoming
worse, ordered the doctor to be sent for, who came and took off his leg,
but it was then too late, mortification had come on, and in a little time
old Fulcher died.

"Thus perished old Fulcher: he was succeeded in his business by his son,
young Fulcher, who, immediately after the death of his father, was called
old Fulcher, it being our English custom to call everybody old as soon as
their fathers are buried; young Fulcher--I mean he w