Fiscal. Lord love you, sir, I don't know what the profession
would do without 'em!

LAWSON. Ye're vera richt, Hunt. An active and a watchful officer, I'll
send her in till ye.

SCENE II

HUNT (_solus_). Two hundred pounds reward. Curious thing. One burglary
after another, and these Scots blockheads without a man to show for it.
Jock runs east, and Sawney cuts west; everything's at a deadlock and
they go on calling themselves thief-catchers! (By Jingo, I'll show them
how we do it down South! Well, I've worn out a good deal of
saddle-leather over Jemmy Rivers; but here's for new breeches if you
like.) Let's have another queer at the list. (_Reads._) "Humphrey Moore,
otherwise Badger; aged forty, thick-set, dark, close-cropped; has been a
prize-fighter; no apparent occupation." Badger's an old friend of mine.
"George Smith, otherwise the Dook, otherwise Jingling Geordie;
red-haired and curly, slight, flash; an old thimble-rig; has been a
stroller; suspected of smuggling; an associate of loose women." G. S.,
Esquire, is another of my flock. "Andrew Ainslie, otherwise Slink
Ainslie; aged thirty-five; thin, white-faced, lank-haired; no
occupation; has been in trouble for reset of theft and subornation of
youth; might be useful as King's evidence." That's an acquaintance to
make. "Jock Hamilton otherwise Sweepie," and so on. ("Willie M'Glashan,"
hum--yes, and so on, and so on.) Ha! here's the man I want. "William
Brodie, Deacon of the Wrights, about thirty; tall, slim, dark; wears his
own hair; is often at Clarke's, but seemingly for purposes of amusement
only; (is nephew to the Procurator-Fiscal; is commercially sound, but
has of late (it is supposed) been short of cash; has lost much at
cock-fighting;) is proud, clever, of good repute, but is fond of
adventures and secrecy, and keeps low company." Now, here's what I ask
myself: here's this list of the family party that drop into Mother
Clarke's; it's been in the hands of these nincompoops for weeks, and
I'm the first to cry Queer Street! Two well-known cracksmen, Badger and
the Dook! why, there's Jack in the Orchard at once. This here topsawyer
work they talk about, of course that's a chalk above Badger and the
Dook. But how about our Mohock-tradesman? "Purposes of amusement!" What
next? Deacon of the Wrights? and Wright in their damned lingo means a
kind of carpenter, I fancy? Why, damme, it's the man's trade! I'll look
you up, Mr. William Brodie, Deacon of the Wrigh