19
He would warm his red nose with a whiff and a puff,
Then he found that his bag was gone off, sure enough.
He found he had lost it; full well did he search
Ev'ry pocket he had, for quite left in the lurch,
He knew that his landlord no mercy would show,
He had promis'd so often, and fail'd him also.
From vexing, and fuming, and grumbling, and such,
He began to grow warm at his losing so much,
And charg'd all his neighbours, good fellows and friends,
With playing a trick, just to serve their own ends.
His fellow's were rous'd by his swearing so loud,
And the neighbourhood gather'd all round in a crowd;
Tom Toper declar'd with a laugh, and a bawl,
He'd seen nothing—indeed he could scarce see at all.
John lov'd a joke well, but not at his own cost,
Tho' 'twas no time to laugh when so much he had lost,
Curs'd and swore like a madman, and told Tom he lied,
For 'twas he filch'd his money, while drunk by his side.
He thought so—he know so—he always should think;
And 'twas mean, so it was, thus to cheat him in drink;
Nay, he never could bear it, so knock'd him down sly,
To prevent him from standing so stout in a lie.
