THE BITER BIT 249 



Lastly, I may give an illustration which will better 

 describe the man than anything I can say. Card-playing 

 is not the only amusement by which one may win or 

 lose money in railway travelling, either with friends or 

 strangers. Once, whilst travelling to Doncaster races, 

 Buchanan hit upon an ingenious scheme for adding to 

 his revenues. Soon after leaving King's Cross Station, 

 he carefully counted the number of the several cords or 

 fringe forming the tassel at the end of the sash by which 

 the carriage window was drawn up ; and, on arriving at 

 the first stoppage, he left the carriage for refreshments. 

 A gentleman who had been watching his movements, and 

 suspected his intentions, in his absence did the same, 

 and, like him, left for the refreshment-rooms. They re- 

 turned together to their respective seats. Norman soon 

 began dandling the tassel in a careless sort of way, 

 and casually said to the gentleman who sat opposite to 

 him : 



1 How many ends are there on this tassel ?' 



To which his friend replied : 



1 Perhaps there are sixty.' 



' Well,' said Norman, ' I give the correct number 

 nearer than anyone else for a pony.' 



' I am a pretty good guesser generally,' quoth the 

 other, and I don't mind ; I will lay it you, and I will 

 tell nearer than you, if you will give the number first.' 



The bet was made. Norman said he should think 

 there were forty-nine,' fearing to give the exact number, 

 lest it should be looked upon as suspicious. The other 

 said he would make it even numbers and say * fifty,' and, 

 of course, won. At this Buchanan was furious. He 

 appealed to his friends to know if he were called upon to 

 pay, alleging that his opponent had been betting on a 

 certainty, as he could not have guessed the exact number 



