y--for I was never here before--that there was something
to be done in it; but I was never more mistaken in my life. The country
is overrun with Hindity mescrey, woild Irish, with whom the Romany foky
stand no chance. The fellows underwork me at tinkering, and the women
outscream my wife at telling fortunes--moreover, they say the country is
theirs and not intended for niggers like we, and as they are generally in
vast numbers what can a poor little Roman family do but flee away before
them? A pretty journey I have made into Wales. Had I not contrived to
pass off a poggado bav engro--a broken-winded horse--at a fair, I at this
moment should be without a tringoruschee piece in my pocket. I am now
making the best of my way back to Brummagem, and if ever I come again to
this Hindity country may Calcraft nash me."

"I wonder you didn't try to serve some of the Irish out," said I.

"I served one out, brother; and my wife and childer helped to wipe off a
little of the score. We had stopped on a nice green, near a village over
the hills in Glamorganshire, when up comes a Hindity family, and bids us
take ourselves off. Now it so happened that there was but one man and a
woman and some childer, so I laughed, and told them to drive us off.
Well, brother, without many words, there was a regular scrimmage. The
Hindity mush came at me, the Hindity mushi at y my juwa, and the Hindity
chaves at my chai. It didn't last long, brother. In less than three
minutes I had hit the Hindity mush, who was a plaguey big fellow, but
couldn't fight, just under the point of the chin, and sent him to the
ground with all his senses gone. My juwa had almost scratched an eye out
of the Hindity mushi, and my chai had sent the Hindity childer scampering
over the green. 'Who has got to quit now?' said I to the Hindity mush
after he had got on his legs, looking like a man who has been cut down
after hanging just a minute and a half. 'Who has got notice to quit,
now, I wonder?' Well, brother, he didn't say anything, nor did any of
them, but after a little time they all took themselves off, with a cart
they had, to the south. Just as they got to the edge of the green,
however, they turned round and gave a yell which made all our blood run
cold. I knew what it meant, and said, 'This is no place for us.' So we
got everything together and came away and, though the horses were tired,
never stopped till we had got ten miles from the place; and well