NORTH DERBYSHIRE. 103 



myself single-handed, and took place at the 

 Bain's Head hotel at Disley. More than a 

 dozen tickets of bidders were handed into 

 Mr. Fowls and Mr. Bodkin, the Derbyshire 

 bridge inspector. On scrutinizing which, and 

 the names of parties from whom they pro- 

 ceeded, I riddled them (to use a homely 

 phrase) and let four remain. But observing 

 to Mr. Fowls that the party whose bid was 

 the highest was the only one I should feel 

 satisfied with, acting, as I was, alone in the 

 matter, I sent for the party into the room, 

 and told him his ticket was the highest in 

 amount considerably, and begged he would 

 send in an amended one at the next round of 

 bidding. To which he replied, " That he and 

 his father and brothers well considered what 

 they were about before they bid for any con- 

 tract, and never lowered their bid made in 

 the first instance ; and he declined sending in 

 a second ticket, observing that if floods or any 

 casualties diminished their fair profits in such 

 undertakings, they never asked to be indem- 



