Text extracted from opening pages of book: BOLD BENDIGO A Romance of the Open Road YJ PAUL HERRING Bendy's short for Bendigo, you should see him ped, Half of him was whalebone, hall of him was steel. Bendy'* Sermon* Bv Sir A. Canon Voyb Library Kansas City, Mo, PHILADELPHIA 3. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY Contents CHAPTER PAGE I. A YOUNG MAN WITH THE BLUE BIRDS EYE 7 IL CHERRY RIBBONS 20 in, ENTER THE DUKE OF LIMBS 26 IV, THE FIGHTING TINMAN 35 V, AT THE SIGN OP THE COACH AND SIX 4! VL WHEN THE HEATHER LAUGHS 51 VII. THE FIGHT AT APPLEBY 58 VTXL A . FLUTTER AMONG THE FANCY 71 IX. THE FIDDLER WHO PLAYED THE WRONG TUNE 79 X. THE GREEN HIGHWAY 86 XI. HOW A GUINEA WENT BEGGING 90 Xlt THE BUCK OF YORK BARRACKS 97 XIIL LET THE HEATHER GROW BETWEEN US*' 103 XIV, THE DEAF TO HEARS MORE THAN HE * BARGAINED FOR 1x2 XV. A GAME AT SKITTLES 120 XVL LORD LAVENDER'S SNUFF-BOX 126 XVU A CARAVAN OF DREAMS 132 XVHI., FIDDLE AND WSTS iS9 XIX, BBttDlGO BEX30MBS A MILLING BLADE, . 146 XX* & SWEET BIT OF TUKP * 5* XXL THE DUKE SUSPECTS TRICKERY * to XXIL HOW BUCK CASTLETQN CAME INTO A PORTUNB, *....: ....; , W XXIII. THE DUE3S POLISHES HIS PISTOLS .'.... ... 173 XXIV, THE BLACK 6 Contents CHAPTER PAGE XXV. THE DUKE THROWS HIS HAT IN 189 XXVI. JOHN GULLY SPORTS THE BLUE BIRDS EYE 196 X VII. AT THE GENTLEMEN'S SPARRING CLUB 210 XXVIII THE FLASH OF JEWELS 219 XXIX. MISADVENTURE OF THE SPIKED SHOES 327 XXX. A GRAY-HEADED GENTLEMAN ARRIVES AT THE RINGSIDE 237 XXXI. BENDIGO LOSES CHERRY RIBBONS 244 XXXII. BY SPECIAL LICENCE 250 XXXIII. DEAF BURKE'S CHALLENGE 257 XXXIV. IRATE CONDUCT OF THE DUKE'S MALACCA CANE 268 XXXV. HIGHWAYMEN OVER THE HEATH 276 XXXVI, TO THE TUNE OF THE TANTIVY TROT 283 XXXVII. THE FIGHT ON HEATHERHILL 298 XXXVEIL CHAMPION OF ENGLAND 307 EPILOGUE 3x9 BOLD BENDIGO CHAPTER I A YOUNG MAN WITH THE BLUE BIRDSEYE ? IT'S AN old coat to go to the fair in, said Bendigo's mother. I'll spruce it tip till it looks like new/' said Bendigo, brushing away at the old coat. You'll never bring back the nap that's worn off it, my lad. Bencligo whistled to the old coat. Or whistle back the color that's faded out of it, said Bendigo's mother. Her experience in these matters was that once departed, nap and color can never' be persuaded to return. But when all is said and done, a young man in an old coat takes the eye more than aa old fop in a new one. And even a coat that has seen its best days can be freshened up surprisingly by the showy flutter of a fine silk handker chief. It looks better than it did, said Bendigo, So it docs, my lad, an* you can't expect to groom an old nag into a young colt. When I get money enough I'll buy a new coat/' said Bendigo. V You shall, my lad, and glad will I be to see you wearing it, If I'd as much money as I could spend I never would try old coats to mend. It begins to look like my Sunday coat, mother/' 11 Why, then, put i' 7 8 Bold Bendigo His Sunday coat the youth put on For Jenny had vowed away to run With Jockey to the Fair. It's a handsome coat, now/' grinned Bendigo, walking round himself with a mirror in hand. *' Pjut that down, you Jack-a-Dandy, an' take the old clout of a belcher off your neck. I've got a fairing for you, my lad. Bendigo's mother pulled open a creaking drawer in the old mahogany dresser and drew out a spotted blue neckerchief of the pattern familiarly known as the - blue birdseye. A flutter of silk and lavender fol lowed The shaking out ofthe big blue neckerchief with its white spots made the green linnet in the window fly fropa perch to perch and set its cage jigging. There'll be a young man to go the fair wi* a bonny new birdseye round his neck, said Bendigo's mother. The young man in question was attracted from his admiration of the old coat by the new neckerchief* Why, mother, it smells as pretty as a posy, lie said.' Tis sweet as a nosegay and how should it be anything else, lad, sin' it stands for twenty-four foot o' good fighting grass, thick wi' daisies an' hemmed by rope and stakes; fo