egious acts.'

'That's all very well, you know,' said the Constable, turning as pale as
tripe; 'but he might nip me.'

'I can't help that,' cried the Mayor, angrily. 'At all costs I must be
protected from danger. Do your duty and arrest this felon with your
hat.'

The Constable looked round, gasped, and summoning all his courage,
scooped up the Puddin' in his hat.

'My word,' he said, breathlessly, 'but that was a narrow squeak. I
expected every moment to be my last.'

'Now we breathe more freely,' said the Mayor, and led the way to the
Tooraloo Court House.

'If this isn't too bad,' said Bill, furiously. 'Here we've had all the
worry and trouble of fightin' puddin'-thieves night and day, and, on top
of it all, here's this Tooralooral tadpole of a Mayor shovin' his nose
into the business and arrestin' our Puddin' without rhyme or reason.'

[Illustration]

As they had arrived at the Court House at that moment, Bill was forced
to smother his resentment for the time being. There was nobody in Court
except the Judge and the Usher, who were seated on the bench having a
quiet game of cards over a bottle of port.

'Order in the Court,' shouted the Usher, as they all came crowding in;
and the Judge, seeing the Constable carrying the Puddin' in his hat,
said severely:

'This won't do, you know; it's Contempt of Court, bringing your lunch
here.'

'An' it please you, My Lord,' said the Constable hurriedly, 'this here
Puddin' has been arrested for pinching the Mayor.'

'As a consequence of which, I see you've pinched the Puddin',' said the
Judge facetiously. 'Dear me, what spirits I am in to-day, to be sure!'

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

'The felon has an aroma most dangerously suggestive of beef gravy,' said
the Usher, solemnly.

'Beef gravy?' said the Judge. 'Now, it seems to me that the aroma is
much more subtly suggestive of steak and kidney.'

'Garnished, I think, with onions,' said the Usher.

'In order to settle this knotty point, just hand the felon up here a
moment,' said the Judge. 'I don't suppose you've got a knife about you?'
he asked.

'I've got a paper-knife,' said the Usher; and, the Puddin' having been
handed up to the bench, the Judge and the Usher cut a slice each, and
had another glass of port.

Bill was naturally enraged at seeing total strangers eating
Puddin'-owners' private property, and he called out loudly:

'Common justice and the lawful rights of Puddin'-owners.'

'Sile