360 A PLEA FOR THE OLD RED RAG 



open, catches, his shillin', and cries, ' Good luck to 

 yer!' 



'"Hopen the gate ! ' yells Mustard Breeks, and 'Odge 

 jams 'is 'ands into 'is pockets, and says, ' Hopen it 

 yourself, you blanky 'orsedealer ! ' 



" ' My wire's been cut,' says Giles Jolter, the day 

 after the 'unt, ' and my man tells me it wasn't done 

 by any of the 'Unt Gemmen, but by a hinfernal chap 

 rigged out like a gamekeeper. Blowed if I stand 

 such goin's-on from the likes o' he,' and a row follows. 



" What's the matter with the old Red Rag that 

 ingenious youth should discard it ? " said Mr. Jorrocks 

 mournfully. 



" ' It's so 'ot and 'eavy,' says one. ' Rot ! ' says I ; 

 ' it's no 'eavier than a black Melton, and looks twice 

 as well.' 



" At 'Andley Cross," continued Mr. J., " I said in one 

 of my Lectors — ' For my part I likes a good roomy 

 red rag that one can jump in and out with ease ; 

 good long-backed coats, the back to come down in 

 a flap, plenty of good, well-lined flaps to wrap round 

 the thighs,' and nowadays I see warm coats made 

 of waterproof scarlet serge or tweed that are werry 

 light and cost 'arf nothin'. 



" In olden days there were not many tailors even in 

 London that could make a 'untin' coat right or cut 

 a pair o' breeches properly. Poole for coats ; Bartley 

 for boots ; 'Anderson, 'Ammond, or Tautz for breeches 

 — that was about the lot. Now there are a score of 

 men within 'ail of Bond Street, and every one of 

 them can make as good 'untin' togs as the other, so 

 there is no difficulty about fittin' out the sportsman. 



