TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES. 1. Italic script is denoted by _underscores_ and bold script by =equal=. 2. Simple spelling, grammar, and typographical errors have been silently corrected. 3. Retained anachronistic and non-standard spellings as printed. CHEAP JACK ZITA BY THE SAME AUTHOR IN THE ROAR OF THE SEA THE QUEEN OF LOVE CHEAP JACK ZITA MRS. CURGENVEN OF CURGENVEN ARMINELL JACQUETTA URITH KITTY ALONE MARGERY OF QUETHER NOÉMI THE BROOM-SQUIRE DARTMOOR IDYLLS GUAVAS THE TINNER CHEAP JACK ZITA BY S. BARING-GOULD FOURTH EDITION METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET, W.C. LONDON 1896 CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. BEFORE THE GALILEE 1 II. THE FLAILS 13 III. TWO CROWNS 23 IV. ON THE DROVE 33 V. THE FLAILS AGAIN 44 VI. BETWEEN TWO LIGHTS 57 VII. PROFITS 63 VIII. MARK RUNHAM 76 IX. PRICKWILLOW 88 X. RED WINGS 100 XI. TIGER-HAIR 112 XII. ON BONE RUNNERS 122 XIII. PIP BEAMISH 131 XIV. ON ONE FOOTING 140 XV. ON ANOTHER FOOTING 150 XVI. BURNT HATS 161 XVII. A CRAWL ABROAD 174 XVIII. A DROP OF GALL 188 XIX. NO DEAL 194 XX. DAGGING 201 XXI. THE FEN RIOTS 213 XXII. TWENTY POUNDS 221 XXIII. TEN POUNDS 232 XXIV. A NEW DANGER 245 XXV. 'I DON'T CARE THAT' 253 XXVI. A NIGHT IN ELY 259 XXVII. SIR BATES DUDLEY'S RIDE 270 XXVIII. TWO PLEADERS 281 XXIX. A DEAL 291 XXX. IN COURT 295 XXXI. PISGAH 311 XXXII. A PARTHIAN SHOT 321 XXXIII. PURGATORY 327 XXXIV. WITH TOASTING-FORKS 335 XXXV. THE JACK O' LANTERNS 347 XXXVI. A RETURN BLOW 355 XXXVII. A CATHERINE WHEEL 364 XXXVIII. THE BRENT-GEESE 376 XXXIX. THE CUT EMBANKMENT 382 XL. THISTLES 394 CHEAP JACK ZITA. CHAPTER I BEFORE THE GALILEE What was the world coming to? The world—the centre of it—the Isle of Ely? What aged man in his experience through threescore years and ten had heard of such conduct before? What local poet, whose effusions appeared in the 'Cambridge and Ely Post,' in his wildest flights of imagination, conceived of such a thing? Decency must have gone to decay and been buried. Modesty must have unfurled her wings and sped to heaven before such an event could become possible. Where were the constables? Were bye-laws to become dead letters? Were order, propriety, the eternal fitness of things, to be trampled under foot by vagabonds?