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Borrow, George Henry, 1803-1881

"The Romany Rye"

' 'I am afraid I must stop your journey for
the present,' said the surgeon; 'that boy has exactly the same
blemish in the eye which a boy had who was in company with the man
at Horncastle, from whom my friend received the forged notes, and
who there passed for his son.' 'I know nothing about that,' said
the Quaker, 'but I am determined to be detained here no longer,
after the satisfactory account which I have given as to the note's
coming into my possession.' He then attempted to leave the room,
but my friend detained him, a struggle ensued, during which a wig
which the Quaker wore fell off, whereupon he instantly appeared to
lose some twenty years of his age. 'Knock the fellow down,
father,' said the boy, 'I'll help you.'
"And, forsooth, the pretended Quaker took the boy's advice, and
knocked my friend down in a twinkling. The landlord, however, and
waiter, seeing how matters stood, instantly laid hold of him; but
there can be no doubt that he would have escaped from the whole
three, had not certain guests who were in the house, hearing the
noise, rushed in, and helped to secure him. The boy was true to
his word, assisting him to the best of his ability, flinging
himself between the legs of his father's assailants, causing
several of them to stumble and fall.


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