Luckily the shades of evening concealed them from the too scrutinizing observation of the passengers they encountered on their return, for such accidents generally excite more ridicule than commiseration.

Spriggs having volunteered his services, saw Grubb safe home to his door in Tower Street, and placing the two guns in his hands, bade him a cordial farewell, promising to call and see after his nose on the morrow.

The following parody of a customary paragraph in the papers will be considered, we think, a most fitting conclusion to their day’s sport.

“In consequence of a letter addressed to Mr. Augustus Spriggs, by Mr. Richard Grubb, the parties met early yesterday morning, but after firing several shots, we are sorry to state that they parted without coming to any satisfactory conclusion.”

SCENE IX.

“Shoot away, Bill! never mind the old woman—­she can’t get over the wall to us.”

One day two urchins got
A pistol, powder, horn, and shot,
And proudly forth they went
On sport intent. 
“Oh, Tom! if we should shoot a hare,”
Cried one,
The elder son,
“How father, sure, would stare!”
Look there! what’s that?”
“Why, as I live, a cat,”
Cried Bill, “‘tis mother Tibbs’ tabby;
Oh! what a lark
She loves it like a babby! 
And ain’t a cat’s eye, Tom, as good a mark
As any bull’s eyes?”
And straight “Puss! puss!” he cries,
When, lo! as Puss approaches,
They hear a squall,
And see a head and fist above the wall. 
’Tis tabby’s mistress
Who in great distress
Loads both the urchins with her loud reproaches,
“You little villains! will ye shoot my cat? 
Here, Tink!  Tink!  Tink! 
O! lor’ a’ mercy!  I shall surely sink,
Tink!  Tink!”
Tink hears her voice—­and hearing that,
Trots nearer with a pit-a-pat! 
“Now, Bill, present and fire,
There’s a bold ’un,
And send the tabby to the old ’un.” 
Bang! went the pistol, and in the mire
Rolled Tink without a mew—­
Flop! fell his mistress in a stew! 
While Bill and Tom both fled,
Leaving the accomplish’d Tink quite finish’d,
For Bill had actually diminish’d
The feline favorite by a head! 
Leaving his undone mistress to bewail,
In deepest woe,
And to her gossips to relate
Her tabby’s fate. 
This was her only consolation—­for altho’
She could not tell the head—­she could the tail!

SCENE X.

SEPTEMBER 1ST,—­AN ONLY OPPORTUNITY.

“I begin to think I may as well go back.”

My vig! vat a pelter this is—­
Enough all my hardour to tame;
In veather like this there’s no sport,
It’s too much in earnest for game!

A ladle, I might as well be,
Chain’d fast to a hold parish pump,
For, by goles! it comes tumbling down,
Like vinking,—­and all of a lump.