ntend to do any more, neither in
nor out of prison; but if I can't make a living honestly you may be
sure I shall not starve."

CHAPTER XIX.

PRISONERS' CONVERSATIONS--LARRY AND TIM GET INTO CHOKEY--BIG
CROPPY--WHAT PAT GETS "IN FOR"--MALICIOUS GAMBLING--PAT'S PATENT
FOR GETTING A NEW COAT--DICK'S EXPLOITS--NED'S ADVENTURES AND
ESCAPES--A NEW SCREW ARRIVES--A PRISONER EMPTIES THE WINE CUP
AT THE ALTAR--NED, DICK, AND PAT'S OPINION ABOUT BADGES,
CLASSIFICATION, HEAD BLOKES, PRISONERS' AID SOCIETY, AND THE
IRISH SYSTEM.

The following are specimens of the conversations which take place among
the prisoners as they meet in the ordinary course of their prison
employment. They were quite unaware that there was anyone near
listening to them, or taking more than an ordinary interest in their
remarks to each other, and my report may be taken as a perfectly
accurate representation of ordinary convict conversation and
phraseology.

"Well, Dick, how are you?"

"Oh! pretty well, Ned, how's yourself?"

"Well, I'm among the middlings only. That beastly bad cheese they gave
us yesterday hasn't agreed with me, and I think I shall hook it up to
the 'farm'[21] for a week or two, and get a change of diet before going
home. I am only waiting to get a bit of 'snout,' and then I shall send
in a sick report. Have you heard what Larry and Tim have got this
morning? Larry's got three days' bread and water, seven days'
penal-class diet, and 'blued' fourteen days' remission; and Tim's got
three days."

[21] Hospital.

"Well, Larry partly deserves it. He was a fool to let the 'screw' see
he had the 'snout;' but what was Tim's offence?"

"Speaking to a fellow in the ranks, and merely saying 'It was a fine
morning;' he'll get turned out of the cook-house, too. It's a ----
shame, when other fellows talk away in the ranks every day. I say, what
day do you go home?"

"I ought to go on the 2nd, but these ---- licenses will be late again,
no doubt, and very likely I shall not go before the 10th or 20th of the
month. Have you any message for me to carry out?"

"Do you remember 'Big Croppy?'"

"Yes."

"Well, he's been to my wife since he went out, and told her all manner
of lies. He's told her that I accuse her of going with another man, and
she has been to my mother and told her that she is not going to write
to me any more, nor to live with me again. I have been to ask for a
special sheet of paper to write and tell them t