~85~~With conversation of this kind, the party were amused up St. Martin's lane, and on the remainder of the road to Bow-street, followed by many persons, some of whom pretended to have seen a part of the proceedings, and promised to give their evidence before the magistrate, who was then sitting. On arriving in Bow Street, they entered the Brown Bear,{1} a public-house, much frequented by the officers, and in which is a strong-room for the safe custody of prisoners, where they were shewn into a dark back-parlour, as they termed it, and the officer proceeded to search the man in custody, when lo and behold! the handkerchief was not to be found about him. Pat d----d the devil and all his works--swore “by the fiery furnace of Beelzebub, and that's the devil's own bed-chamber, that was the man that nibbled the Jontleman's _dive_,{2} and must have _ding'd away the wipe_,{3} or else what should he _bolt_{4} for?--that he was up to the _rum slum_,{5} 1 A former landlord of the house facetiously christened it the Russian Hotel, and had the words painted under the sign of Bruin. 2 _Nibbled the Jontleman's dive_--Picked the gentleman's pocket. 3 _Ding'd away the wipe_--Passed away the handkerchief to another, to escape detection. This is a very common practice in London: two or three in a party will be near, without appearing to have the least knowledge of, or connexion with each other, and the moment a depredation is committed by one, he transfers the property to one of his pals, by whom it is conveyed perhaps to the third, who decamps with it to some receiver, who will immediately advance money upon it; while, if any suspicion should fall upon the first, the second will perhaps busy himself in his endeavours to secure the offender, well knowing no proof of possession can be brought against him. 4 _Bolt_--Run away; try to make an escape. 5 _Rum slum_--Gammon--queer talk or action, in which some fraudulent intentions are discoverable or suspected. ~86~~and down upon the _kiddies_{1}--and sure enough you're _boned,_{2} my dear boy.” Some of the officers came in, and appeared to know the prisoner well, as if they had been acquainted with each other upon former official business; but as the lost property was not found upon him, it was the general opinion that nothing could be done, and the accused began to exercise his wit upon Murphy, which roused Pat's blood: “For the least thing, you know, makes an Irishman roar.”