A Waterloo Clip Day. 393 



it looks quite a joyless land, inhabited by the de-* 

 scendants of Mat o' the Marsh. 



There is life enough at the North End Farm, where 

 the carriages make their halt, and the official card- 

 seller sets up his basket under the lee of a barn. He 

 is wise in his generation, as if he once faced the open 

 there would be a rush at him, and, like good card- 

 sellers before him, he might be pressed into the ditch. 

 The trainers are here in great force, each with his 

 champion in hand, or snugly ensconced in a dog-van. 

 Speculation (late Red Robin) occupies the front seat 

 of a cab, and a large wisp of straw is spread artisti- 

 cally over the front window, for fear any minute 

 draught may visit his honoured head too roughly. 

 Alas ! it is of no avail, as India Rubber challenges 

 him to the slips ere two hours more are over, and 

 " wins a good trial cleverly" at his expense. Some of 

 the dog carriages are drawn in great state by three 

 donkeys, but many trainers discard them altogether. 

 Light Cavalry is at the ditch side straining for the 

 fray, and we also mark the dingy face of Bethell (by 

 Boanerges from Mischief), own brother to Bab at the 

 Bowster, and the grey features of Ewesdale, not a re- 

 markable dog in his day, but now of good repute 

 among greyhounds at the stud. The trainers are a 

 motley lot as regards dress; but the real Altcar 

 thing is supposed to be a sort of seal-skin cap, with 

 lappets for the ears, and a green coat, with mother- 

 of-pearl buttons about half the circumference of a 

 cheese-plate. What Lancashire Witch can stand 

 against that ? 



It is barely five minutes past ten, and up comes 

 Mr. Warwick, the judge, in his scarlet coat and blue 

 bird's-eye, to judge for the ninth year in succession. 

 Another bit of scarlet shows that Tom Raper, the 

 slipper, has also stripped to his work. He looks very 

 worn in the face with so hard a life, but the heart is as 

 good and the legs are almost as nimble as ever. We 



