Caricatures and cartoons -- Great Britain; English wit and humor; English wit and humor, Pictorial
Dreadful was the consternation at this announcement--a mouse crossing
the floor would have been terrific, but to have a savage and sanguinary
tiger ranging about, the thought was horrible. Shrieks and screams
abounded--some ladies threw themselves into the arms of the gentlemen,
others ran hurriedly about, and many, in their terror, could not
distinguish between the ferocious animal and a hound, so as to tell "vich
vos the tiger and vich vos the dog." At length, one of the whippers-in
rushed through the door-way, exclaiming "We've got him, your honour,
they're bringing him along." The confusion grew tenfold. Screams and
shrieks mingled with the loud cheers of the hunters, and the mouthing of
the hounds, when a couple of grooms appeared, dragging in a diminutive
being in a scarlet jacket, buckskin tights, and white top-boots, with
several dirty and ragged fish hanging by a long string in his hand; they
placed him in the middle of the floor right before the baronet, and it
was with difficulty that the hounds could be kept off.
"You rascal," vociferated Sir Pimpleton, raising his whip, "what
do you mean by leading me such a dance! Didn't I lock you up for
thieving--didn't I?"
"Vy yes, your honour," responded this perfect miniature of man; "but
afore that, you ordered me to carry a bundle o' red-herrings to town, and
give this here letter to deliver to her ladyship, and, when I came back,
to bring down the cab; so I only obeyed orders." He held up the letter,
and whilst trying to conceal the tattered fish, he looked smirkingly in
the baronet's face, and added, "I say, your honour, that 'ere pony's
worth his weight in gowld."
"Be off then, and take every care of him," said the more appeased
baronet, looking at the fish and laughing. The lad, winking at the
grooms, waited for no further orders. "And now, ladies and gentlemen,"
continued Sir Pimpleton, "that is Ben Gall, my tiger. Men, take off
the hounds; we have had a capital run, gentlemen, which, no doubt,
must have given you good appetites. Your horses shall have every
attention--refreshment shall be immediately brought up for yourselves--a
bumper of brandy round shall open the entertainment, and since we are all
here together, why we'll wind up the day like true sons of Nimrod after
an English TIGER HUNT."
OMNIBUS CHAT.
Our monthly chat commences with a short dissertation on a very ample
topic--
INGENIOUS ROGUERIES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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