26o Did you ever Drive a Jibber down to a Fight? 



seen you for an age/' was his cheery greetings and while I follow 

 him back again to the snug little bar-parlour I will introduce him 

 to the reader. 



The " Capten" was a jolly, handsome-looking fellow of about 

 forty, always dressed in a scrupulously neat, sporting style, and who 

 managed to make an income of about 500/. per year out of his 

 wits, and a little annuity of 250/., which he used to tell us had been 

 left him by a maiden aunt, a lock of whose hair he always wore in 

 an enormous brooch, encircled by a gold horse-shoe. He was never 

 '•^Capten" with us — always plain Harry j but on every racecourse, 

 and at tlie principal sporting inn in every town from Hereford to 

 Newcastle, he was known as the "Capten," and nothing else. 

 What right he had to ihe title none of us ever cared to inquire. He 

 was a true cosmopolite — a perfect citizen of the world 3 and his 

 whole year was spent in travelling throughout England, from one 

 race meeting to another. In the winter, steeple-chasing claimed 

 his attention ; and I think I can safely answer for it that I never 

 went on to a racecourse or steeple-chase ground, at that day, with- 

 out seeing the " Cap ten's" handsome face and portly form, seated 

 generally in a low four-wheeler, drawn by a perfect cob, surrounded 

 by a little mob of knowing fellows, who were either convulsed with 

 laughter at some anecdote he was relating, or else deferentially lis- 

 tening to his opinion on passing events. Where he lived, or if he 

 had any home at all, I never knew. His letters always used to be 

 addressed to Craven-street, in the Strand j but although I have called 

 tliere a score of times, I was never lucky enough to find the 

 " Capten" at home. It is needless to say that a man leading such 

 a life as he did, was tolerably wide-awake j and though he never 

 betted heavily, he put on quietly and safely his " little fivers," as he 

 used to term tnem, and at a little bit of three-card loo had scarcely 

 an equal. He certainly was one of the joUiest fellows in England, 

 and the best of company j but there are spots even on the disc of 

 the sun, and so it is hardly to be supposed the " Capten's" character 

 was stainless, and his worst faults were a hasty temper, selfishness, 

 and egotism. " What's the good of having friends unless you make 



