74 THE COACHING ERA 



in tips alone, and there were many other ways by which 

 they could add to their incomes. V^ery early in their 

 career they discovered that there was a handsome profit 

 to be made by purchasing goods cheaply in the country 

 and selling them in London. Bayzand specialized in 

 watercress, paying ^i for a sack, and receiving [2 for it 

 from a London dealer. 



The shopkeepers depended largely on goods brought 

 up by the guards, and great indeed was their agitation 

 when the snow-storm of 1836 caused the coaches to be 

 snowbound in the provinces, and in consequence 

 London was face to face with the awful prospedl of a 

 turkeyless Christmas. 



When the Mazeppa coach managed to struggle 

 through, it was met on its arrival by a harassed poulterer 

 who breathlessly inquired of William Bayzand if he had 

 any turkeys. The guard replied that he had; twenty of 

 them in fadl, but keep one for his own Christmas dinner 

 he must and would. 



The thought of nineteen birds to be divided among a 

 turkeyless capital raised the poulterer's spirits consider- 

 ably, and he begged the guard to sell them one and all 

 to him, and to name his own price. This put Bayzand 

 into a predicament, for he was afraid of opening his 

 mouth too wide, and a great deal more afraid of asking 

 too little. Seeing his hesitation, the poulterer, who was 

 in an agony of apprehension lest a rival poulterer should 

 get wind of the turkeys and come in pursuit of them, 

 offered ;^20. The guard agreed and the bargain was 

 struck, but how poignant must have been his feelings 



