52 TALES AND TRAITS OF SPORTING LIFE. 



(luced, and ^mj assistant/ to show that by practice the 

 ancient ploiig-hboys didn't care a rap about 'em, hot or 

 cold, ordered to take his shoes and stocking-s off, and 

 marcli away forthwith. ^ My assistant' — a fat-headed 

 boy, with a very g-roggy, chilblainy pair of pins — takes 

 his ^ walk-over' accordingly, though he looked uncommon 

 like breaking' down at every stride." 



'^ Perhaps that was why thej Jired him ?" said the cal- 

 cnlating g-entleman, in so serious a tone that it was some 

 time before they honoured his joke by taking it. 



And so IMllj went through that wonder to him — a ra- 

 tional evening-'s amusement, winding* up with dissolving- 

 views, and '^ the best sort of a target for a snap shot he 

 ever saw." Previous to this, though, the old ladies had 

 stood some cherry -brandy in the refreshment-room, where 

 *^ we found the Dutchman all alone, cocked up on a chair, 

 and eating- a bath bun at the rate of a mouthful in half- 

 an-hour — evidently discussing' to himself the principles of 

 electricity, and connecting in his own mind the crack h^ 

 got on the fingers with some proceedings under water on 

 the part of my friend in the Castle of Otranto helmet.' ' 



^' Well," he went on, ^' at last it seemed about all over : 

 the white neckcloths, * as wos,' made a terrible rush for 

 the umbrella-stand, and the servant-gals began to think it 

 was ^past ten o'clock.' Just then Aunt — the longer one 

 in the tooth, that is — began to get rather imeasy, staring' 

 away at the Humbugasoi under the glass cases, and fumb- 

 ling away like mad all the time at her bag. ' In course' 

 we left her to herself; and just then Mary, who alwa^^s 

 seemed like a good 'un, slipped a couple of sovereigns into 

 my hand, with a ' William, don't mention this ; onl}^ mind 

 and be prudent, there's a good boy !' " 



"I'd hardly time to pocket them before up sails the 



