The last request which Mr Leach made to me was to write an epitaph to be
engraved on the south side of the tombstone over his grave. I have penned
the following lines:--

O! Passer-by, pray cast an eye
Upon this ponderous dome,
Where lieth one of nature's sons
Inside the vaulted tomb.

For weel, I wot, it took a lot
To weigh him from his birth,
But nature thought she'd send him back
To join his Mother Earth

So now he's quiet, both day and night,
No one can hear his speech;
And waiting to be reckoned up,--
Alas! poor Mr. Leach.

CHAPTER XXII

EXILED FROM KEIGHLEY

With an apology for digressing for the last two weeks from my own
Recollections, I now hasten to continue my story. Going back to 1872, it
was in that year I passed my second term of residence in Bradford. This
time I was, to some extent, an exile--driven from home. It was brought
about in this way. I was keeping a grocer's shop in Westgate at the time,
and one day, while I was away at my employment for Messrs Lund in
Heber-street, a traveller for a Leeds firm of drysalters called at the
shop, and forced upon my wife, who was in charge, several pounds' worth
of goods. Of course, when I got home I kicked up a "shine," and
distinctly said I should not accept the goods, which I sent back to
Leeds. My returning the goods, however, did not mend my case, and I was
summoned to Leeds to "show cause," &c. But I treated the court with
contempt by not attending, and an execution was issued against me
forthwith. I have a keen remembrance of the visit which Mr John Scott,
the bailiff at the Keighley County Court, paid to my house. Mr Scott said
he had got Sheriff's orders to sell me up or arrest me. I told him that I
had a great fear of going to gaol, and asked him if he would go and ask
his brother, Mr W. M. Scott, the high bailiff, to allow me until 9
o'clock on the following morning in which to make an effort to raise the
money. The "bum" had scarcely got out of sight ere I was in consultation
with John Parker, the landlord of the Bay Horse Inn. John rather pitied
me. He agreed to lend me his horse, and I borrowed a van from Mr Joseph
Wright, cabinet maker, determined to give my would-be captors the "leg
bail." Early next morning I was, so to speak, doing a moonlight
"flit"--the van, containing my furniture, in charge of two men, was on
the road to Bradford. Mrs Wright I left with friends at Keighley,