John Deane of Nottingham | Page 3

As Mr Harwood and his daughter emerged from the somewhat
ill-paved and narrow street into the broad market-place, their ears were
assailed by loud cries and shouts of men and boys, numbers of whom
were issuing from the narrow passages which led out of Parliament
Street, while from doors and windows appeared eager faces of
spectators bending forward to ascertain the cause of the disturbance.
The shouts, mingled with the barking of dogs, grew louder and louder,
till they approached the Squire and his daughter. Now the mob was
seen to move in one direction, and now in another.
"It is nothing, I believe, but some apprentice-lads baiting an ox,"
observed Mr Harwood as they moved forward.
Just at that moment the crowd, with a pack of barking dogs, came
rushing on helter-skelter in hot pursuit of a brindled cow--so it
seemed--whose heels its canine tormentors were ever and anon
attacking, making it start forward with the pain they inflicted. At the
same time a youth with his coat off and a stick in his hand was
endeavouring to drive off the dogs, and shouting to the mob of
rough-looking apprentices who were urging them on, to desist from the
pursuit. His orders were, however, treated with but little attention, for
the mob of lads and boys extending for some distance on either side
continued their shouts and cries, with peals of laughter at the frantic
movements of the unhappy animal. So completely was the road
blocked up that Mr Harwood and his daughter were compelled to turn
back to avoid them. Just, however, as they were about to do so, the
maddened cow dashed forward, and before Alethea could turn her
horse, its horns had struck the animal's side, and caught the skirt of her
riding-dress. Dashing on, it would have dragged her from her seat, had
not the young man who had been attempting to save the creature from
its tormentors at that moment sprang forward and disentangled her
dress, preventing her from falling from her palfrey.

"Stand back, you young ruffians!" shouted Mr Harwood to the mob.
"Understand that I am a justice of the peace, and that I will summon
you one and all before the magistrates of the town for this uproar."
The mob of apprentices, seeing the harm which their frolic might have
produced, hung back, many of them taking to their heels, while others
called off the dogs, which they had before been inciting to pursue the
cow, which continued its course through Bridlesmith's Gate, glad to
escape its pursuers.
"I have to thank you, young man, for the service you have rendered my
daughter and me, and should be glad to reward you to the best of my
ability," said Mr Harwood, turning to the youth who was holding
Alethea's bridle whilst she recovered her seat in the saddle. "I must
have these scapegraces brought up for punishment before the
magistrates to-morrow; such proceedings ought not to take place in a
well-ordered town."
The young man thus addressed drew himself up with a somewhat
haughty air, as he replied, "I am glad to have rendered the young lady a
service, sir, and require no reward for doing so; and as for punishing
those fellows, I would rather have the opportunity of drubbing a few of
them with my fists for worrying poor old Dame Pitt's lame cow, than
see them sent to prison for their freak. It may be all very well for them
to bait their cattle when they want tender meat, but they had no
business to treat that poor animal in the way they did; and I told them
so when they began, and promised them I would put a stop to it."
"You are a brave lad," said Mr Harwood, looking at the speaker
approvingly. "May I ask your name?"
"I am called Jack Deane, sir," answered the young man, "at your
service. I belong to Nottingham, and know every one of those
apprentice-lads, and do not wish to bring them into trouble; but I will
give the ringleaders as sound a thrashing as they ever had in their lives
before long, for their conduct this day."
"Well, well! I suppose we must leave you to settle the matter in your

own way," said Mr Harwood; "but if your name is Jack Deane, I
conclude that you are the younger son of my friend Mr Jasper Deane, to
whose house my daughter and I are now bending our way."
"Yes, sir, the house of my father, Mr Deane, is situated to the south
there, on the farther side of the market-place, and with your leave, sir, I
will accompany you and your daughter thither, after which I must be
allowed to go in search of Widow Pitt's cow, and carry