on to meet his motherless children, for whom he seemed
to have a very strong affection, he died suddenly of heart disease.

Some prisoners expired on the very day for their liberation. Some died
screaming aloud that they were poisoned. Many died like the brutes, and
a very few departed in peace, with a prayer on their lips. The great
majority died as they had lived, and were forgotten by the spectators
almost before their bodies had been laid in the grave.

CHAPTER VII.

THIEFOLOGY--WHAT THE UNINITIATED CONVICT MAY LEARN IN PRISON.

As a means of beguiling the time while in the hospital, I used to enter
into long conversations with those of my fellow prisoners who were
willing to gratify my curiosity, with a view of ascertaining their mode
of life when out of prison. At first it was somewhat difficult for me
to follow them in their talk, in consequence of their excessive use of
"slang" terms; but in time I not only came to understand the
nomenclature of thiefology, but also to use it fluently, as I found it
more acceptable to my companions to do so, and rendered them more
favourably disposed towards me.

One of my fellow prisoners was particularly communicative and obliging,
and gave me a great deal of well-meant advice, no doubt, as to how I
might live at the public expense _outside_ the prison walls, as
well as explanations in every department of crime. I remember the
following dialogue taking place between us, which also serves to show
how an ignoramus in the science, or a young country lad, perhaps for
the first time convicted of crime, might be instructed in vice, and
incited to continue a career he had perhaps very thoughtlessly, or
under strong temptation, began.

"Harry," I asked, "what's that 'bloke'[6] here for, who occupies the
end bed?"

[6] Man.

"Twineing."

"Twineing! What's that?"

"Don't you know that yet? why you must be a greenhorn not to know that.
Well! I'll tell you. Suppose you start in the morning with a good
sovereign and a '_snyde_'[7] half-sovereign in your pocket; you go
into some place or other, and ask for change of the sovereign, or you
order some beer and give the sovereign in payment; it's likely you will
get half-a-sovereign and silver back in change. Then is the time to
'twine.' You change your mind, after you have 'rung'[8] your snyde half
'quid'[9] with the good one, and throwing down the 'snyde' half, say
you prefer silver; the landlord or landlady, or who