106 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



ways. Little folk do not dare protest, big ones 

 stand waiting their turn for a bit of swag. Mr 

 Chubb's society fights, or puts others in the way 

 of so doing, when warfare is practicable. But, 

 strive all one can to check the abuse, grabbing 

 never ceases, and expense beats protestants 

 against the systematic land-lifters. Most interest- 

 ing work is to be found in tracing out the course of 

 ancient green lanes and piecing them together as 

 best you may, filling in stretches where between 

 recognised remnants instalments have disap- 

 peared. More interesting would be looking into 

 the titles of land across or along which these 

 lanes formerly took their course. You and I, 

 Refereaders, may not be exactly in position to 

 grumble at the species of land-grabbing, because 

 if we had been about while the lanes were in 

 existence and fit for circulation, our share of them 

 would go no farther than privilege to use them 

 for passage. Now, in the majority of cases — not 

 by any means always — a good hard road has 

 superseded the indifferent unmade way. But, all 

 the same, that someone did collar the land itself 

 is a sure thing. 



Thinking on the days when the Weald of 

 Sussex rang with the clang of the local iron- 

 foundry's hammerers — ''strikers" are they not 

 called ? — suggested comparisons on a time. 

 (Pray, readers of the North Countrie also the 

 Midland, pardon my lugging in a good John 

 Wesleyism presently.) 



I was making survey of the charming Sussex, 

 so-called Wealden, scenery up Uckfield way, on 

 the borders of Ashdown Forest, overlying un- 

 doubtedly rich iron deposits, also the Kentish 

 coalfields that (maybe) are to be. So much I 



