36 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



room and quaffed bitter beer from deep old-fashioned 

 tankards. Our skins resembling the hide of the 

 rhinoceros as regards impenetrability, however, neither 

 Barker nor myself were in the smallest degree discon- 

 certed by the haughty glances showered upon us by the 

 cavaliers. On the contrary we enjoyed our tankards of 

 ale amazingly and improved our knowledge of the genus 

 homo by studying the habits and physiognomy of the 

 assembled sportsmen and sportswomen. Amongst the 

 former were to be seen not a few professional habitues of 

 the London horse marts, all well, albeit gaudily, groomed. 

 But one gentleman, whom I afterwards discovered to 

 be the local auctioneer, had a strange fascination for 

 both Barker and myself. From soft-legged " tops " to 

 glossy " Lincoln & Bennett," Mr L — was immaculately 

 " turned out." His leathers and black Melton frock 

 spoke of the master hand — or rather shears — of a 

 certain noted sartorial artist whose " studio " lies not 

 a hundred miles distant from Marble Arch; his well- 

 starched, snow-white stock was tied to a nicety, and, 

 as our contemporary The Coat and Breeches Maker 

 would probably have it, " the neck- wear was set off 

 to perfection by a delicately -tinted buff waistcoat." 

 A pair of white buckskin gloves, a natty buttonhole 

 of violets, long-necked spurs, and a well - thonged 

 workmanUke crop completed — to speak professionally — 

 the inventory of this worthy sportsman's outward and 

 visible signs of sportsmanship. Of florid complexion 

 and goodly girth, Mr L — stood some 5 ft. 6 in. in his boots 



