“Not at all, my dear Japhet; I never, in all my distress, was sentenced to execution—­my miseries were trifles, to be laughed at.  However, I felt very miserable at the time, and walked off, thinking about the propriety of getting into gaol as soon as I could, for the beggar had strongly recommended it.  I was at the outskirts of the town, when I perceived two men tussling with one another, and I walked towards them.  ‘I says,’ says one, who appeared to be a constable; ’you must come along with I. Don’t you see that ere board?  All wagrants shall be taken up, and dealt with according to la.’  ’Now may the devil hold you in his claws, you old psalm-singing thief—­an’t I a sailor—­and an’t I a wagrant by profession, and all according to law?’ ‘That won’t do,’ says the other; ’I commands you in the king’s name, to let me take you to prison, and I commands you also, young man,’ says he—­for I had walked up to them—­’I commands you, as a lawful subject, to assist me.’  ’What will you give the poor fellow for his trouble?’ said the sailor.  ’It’s his duty, as a lawful subject, and I’ll give him nothing; but I’ll put him in prison if he don’t.’  ’Then you old Rhinoceros, I’ll give him five shillings if he’ll help me, and so now he may take his choice.’  At all events, thought I, this will turn out lucky one way or the other; but I will support the man who is most generous; so I went up to the constable, who was a burly sort of a fellow, and tripped up his heels, and down he came on the back of his head.  You know my old trick, Japhet?”

“Yes; I never knew you fail at that.”

“‘Well,’ the sailor says to me, ’I’ve a notion you’ve damaged his upper works, so let us start off, and clap on all sail for the next town.  I know where to drop an anchor.  Come along with me, and as long as I’ve a shot in the locker, d—­n me if I won’t share it with one who has proved a friend in need.’  The constable did not come to his senses; he was very much stunned, but we loosened his neckcloth, and left him there, and started off as fast as we could.  My new companion, who had a wooden leg, stopped by a gate, and clambered over it.  ‘We must lose no time,’ said he; ‘and I may just as well have the benefit of both legs.’  So saying, he took off his wooden stump, and let down his real leg, which was fixed up just as you saw mine.  I made no comments, but off we set, and at a good round pace gained a village about five miles distant.  ’Here we will put up for the night; but they will look for us to-morrow at daylight, or a little after, therefore we must be starting early.  I know the law-beggars well, they won’t turn out afore sunrise.  He stopped at a paltry ale-house, where we were admitted, and soon were busy with a much better supper than I had ever imagined they could have produced; but my new friend ordered right and left, with a tone of authority, and everybody in the house appeared at his beck and command.  After a couple of glasses of grog, we retired to our beds.