r the last three
moonths."

"I'll find some un," said Mr. Bumpkin; "here, goo and fetch a pleeceman."

This was said to a small boy who did the bird-minding, and was now
looking on with his mouth wide open, and his eyes actually shedding
tears.

"Ah, fetch a pleeceman an all," said the man, thrusting the big hay-knife
down into the centre of the rick; "but take a soop o' cyder, maister; I
dessay thee feels a bit out o' sorts loike."

"Thee darn thief; it be my cyder, too, I've a notion."

"How can it be thine, maister, when thee ha' sowled un?" said the man
with his unanswerable logic: "haw! haw! haw!"

Mrs. Bumpkin held her husband's hand, and tried her hardest to keep him
from using violence towards the man. She felt the convulsive twitches of
his strong muscles, and the inward struggle that was shaking his stalwart
frame. "Come away, Tom; come away; let un do as they like, we'll have
them as will see us righted yet. There's law for un, surely."

"It beant no use to kick, maister," said the man, again ramming the knife
down into the rick as though he were cutting Mr. Bumpkin himself in half,
and were talking to him the while; "it beant no use to kick, maister.
Here thee be; thee owes the man the money, and can't pay, so ur does this
out of kindness to prevent thee being sowled oop loike."

"Here be the pleeceman," said Mrs. Bumpkin.

Mr. Bumpkin turned suddenly, and shouted, "Tak thic thief into custody."

The policeman, albeit a country constable, was a very sensible man; and
seeing how matters stood, he very wisely set himself to the better task
of taking Mr. Bumpkin into custody without appearing to do so, and
without Mr. Bumpkin knowing it.

"Now," said he, "if so be as you will come indoors, Mr. Bumpkin, I think
we can put our heads together and see what can be done in this 'ere case;
if it's stealing let him steal, and I'll have him nicely; but if it ain't
stealing, then I woant have him at all." (A pause.)

"For why?" (A pause.)

"Because the law gives you other remedies."

"That be right, pleeceman," said Bumpkin; "I'll goo wi' thee. Now then,
Nancy, let's goo; and look 'ere, thee thief, I'll ha' thee in th' jail
yet."

The man grinned with a mouth that seemed to have been cut with his own
hay-knife, so large was it, and went on with his work, merely saying: "I
dooant charge thee nothin for cootin' nor yet for bindin, maister; I does
it all free graatis, loike."

"Thee d--- thief, the