The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 164: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A GLANCE AT THE PAST 147 we could, and betook ourselves to Gainsborough, where we put up at the boozing-ken that I mentioned just now, and which was kept by a fellow of the right sort. You recollect I told you that when me and my pals were first down in Lincolnshire about Farefield’s business, I sent them to Gainsborough while I tried my hand alone at carrying off the child. On that occasion they put up at the boozing- ken I am speaking about, and there they happened to fall in with a resurrectionist chap, whom they had known in London, and who had been doing a stroke of business at his trade — body-lifting, | mean — down in Lincolnshire. It was to try and find this fellow again that we betook our- selves to the boozing-ken after our adventure inside Saxon- dale Castle, because at that time the stiff’uns were very scarce in the market and fetched a deuced good price. The laws were very severe then against resurrection-men, and enterprising surgeons who wanted a subject didn’t mind giving twenty, thirty, or even forty guineas. Now you begin to understand why me and my pals stopped at Gainsborough to find out Bob Shakerly the body-snatcher. Well, we did succeed in meeting with him, and told him that we knew of where there was a nice stifft’un, pretty fresh, and we thought might be had with a little trouble. So he then told us that there was a young doctor from London stopping in Gainsborough at the moment, of the name of Ferney, and who had quite a mania for subjects. Well, Bob Shakerly went and saw the doctor, and told him what a prize might be had if he chose to give a decent sum for it. This he at once agreed to do, and our arrangements were made accordingly. Me and my pals determined to penetrate once more into the castle and get out the body, for we saw the means of doing it without running any particular risk of discovery. On his side, Bob Shakerly agreed to be in the wood close by the castle with a horse and cart in the middle of the night, and things being thus settled, we set to work without delay. You have never been down in that part of Lincolnshire, have you? ”’ “No, never,’ answered Madge. ‘Well, Saxondale Castle 1s an immense building, and at least half of it was shut up in those times,” continued the Cannibal. “J don’t know anything about it now. All we learned the first time of our breaking in had taught EORVICLOOO® Ss (CO)