146 SPORTING STORIES 



Brighton coachman. This individual was a typical 

 specimen of his trade. Continuously sitting on the box, 

 and free indulgence in all good things of life, had swollen 

 his body to such a size that walking was almost impossible 

 to him. In hot or cold weather he was encased in waist- 

 coats, coats, and greatcoats. In addition to top-boots, 

 he was protected, from the lower parts of his calves 

 to his thighs, with knee-caps of knitted wool, whilst 

 a silk handkerchief of Belcher pattern, tied round his 

 neck in a peculiar knot, gave a professional finish to the 

 toilette. 



" Bishop was the tipple — a compound of scalding hot 

 port, with sugar, lemons and Seville oranges stuffed full of 

 spices, roasted on a gridiron, and thrown piping hot into 

 the bubbling flood. Tokeley, the college porter, a burly 

 man of considerable strength and long accustomed to the 

 business, had some difficulty in carrying the huge cup and 

 placing it on the table. It is true he was accustomed, in 

 his progress from the buttery to the supper-room, to assert 

 his right to what he called his ' reg-lars,' and it was very 

 apparent that his claims had been enforced. As supple- 

 ments to this bowl, smaller cups, brimming with milk 

 punch, were placed on the table, and were all emptied 

 during the evening. 



" As the evening advanced the conversation became 

 unusually animated. Differences of opinion were expressed 

 in language not parliamentary ; order was proclaimed by 

 the president, and the conflict of words was for a time 

 allayed by soothing potations of Bishop. The remedy, 

 being taken too frequently, aggravated the complaint, and 

 Mr Snow and Mr Browning arose simultaneously froni 

 their chairs to refer their claims to veracity to 'trial by 

 battle.' Messrs Mendoza and Vaughan constituted them- 

 selves the judges, and the rest of the party formed the 

 'suite' of the combatants. It was a sight to see the 

 ponderous Snow set-to ; but what he lacked in agility he 

 made up in weight and size, and so long as he could 

 protect his expansive bread-basket he was all right ; it 

 may be supposed the scene was not carried on with the 

 silence the sanctity of the place and the lateness of the 



