128 About Breeches and Boots. 



deposit my gold watch. I was under twenty years of age, 

 and young-looking for my age, too, and I shall never forget 

 the man's face when I quietly asked him, " Who robbed the 

 black man at Ascot?" His language on being so " picked 

 up " by a boy would really have startled Old Nick ; it was over- 

 heard by a gentlemanly -looking man with a quick eye, who 

 simply said, " You are at your old games, are you ? olf the 

 course, or I shall want you directly." Need I say the 

 speaker was a detective ? 



If the little tops and breeches which were worn years ago, 

 when every London dandy had his cab and tiger, could 

 have written their autobiographies, what stories we should 

 have of cabs waiting at houses of '' other fellows' wives," 

 outside Crockford's, or at private hells, at Chalk Farm or 

 Wimbledon Common at daybreak, whilst the noble owners 

 were making targets of each other; of journeys to and from 

 Richmond with pink bonnets, and numberless other " fie-fie 

 stories," only mentioned now by gray-headed old gentlemen 

 over their wine when the youngsters are out of the way, or 

 by wicked old dowagers — who possibly were behind the 

 scenes — at early tea in Mayfair. 



The last remnants of top-boots in cockney life belonged 

 to the low sporting school. Ben Caunt was fond of appearing 

 in public in white cords and tops, green cutaway, basket but- 

 tons, scarlet neckcloth set off by a large gold spread-eagle pin, 

 presented to him by Freeman, the American giant, and a 

 broad-brimmed white hat with green eaves; in fact, his 

 portrait taken in that costume was in a shop window in 

 Fleet Street, in which he was represented as pointing to a 

 table, whereon were placed a champagne bottle and glasses, 

 and box of cigars, and " Bell's Life," and underneath the 

 picture was a valuable certificate : " This is the best portrait 

 of me. B. Caunt, Champion of England." Old-fashioned 

 omnibus men and coachmen who drove the short stages to 



