COACH PROPRIETORS 105 



Ostlers down the road stole the oats when they 

 could; some did so by the device of a hole cut in the 

 manger and a can adroitly arranged to catch the corn^'as 

 it fell; others, more daring, manipulated the lock^of Jthe 

 corn-bin. Could anything be more nerve-shattering 

 than the following experience which happened to one 

 of the fraternity? Going to the stable one night, as was 

 his custom, with lantern and bag, he opened the lid of 

 the corn-bin, and put in his hand to take out the oats. 

 Instead, he was confronted with the horrid spedtacle of 

 "Billy bite 'em sly" curled up as comfortable as possible, 

 who reared himself up in the corn-bin as if in a pulpit, 

 and gave tongue with such appalling politeness that the 

 ostler's blood fairly froze within him. 



Chaplin had a keen sense of humour which was not 

 always appreciated, although his toast at the annual 

 coach dinner passed into an historic joke. He loyally 

 proposed the health of the Sovereign, and then lifted his 

 glass with the enigmatical remark: "Success to Shoulder- 

 ing — but do it well." 



The first occasion on which he proposed this novel 

 toast no doubt caused the assembled coachmen some 

 uneasiness, and made them look askance at one another, 

 wondering where "Billy bite 'em sly" meant to have 

 them. Shouldering was an old-established custom, but 

 coach proprietors were expefted to feign ignorance of it. 

 At any rate it was a subject only to be referred to between 

 master and man, under most distressing circumstances, 

 as when the latter had "shouldered" an informer un- 

 awares, or fallen vidim to a too zealous "pikeman." 



