194 WAYFARING NOTIONS 



circumstance, because it is much about the same 

 on other mornings and afternoons. Ten years or 

 so back you would be almost certain to pick up 

 a companion, no matter what road out of 

 Newmarket you took. Nowadays you might 

 march about for weeks and not find one on the 

 highways, unless, perhaps, an American doing a 

 run for a short spell. Soon the craft will forget 

 what used to be done, and want teaching what to 

 wear and how to w^ear it. Certainly some would 

 be better for a little practical schooling. I did, 

 for a wonder, hit on a waster — I mean a jockey 

 wasting ; this is no waster — a few days ago, and 

 he was laying himself out to walk in comfort and 

 very natty little pointed-toed patent leather boots 

 fixed up on high heels that added a good instal- 

 ment of an ell to his stature, and meant shooting 

 the front half of his foot like a wedge into the 

 pick-axe point of the boot. Moreover, he had 

 on hard-like-a-board trousers, eminently calculated 

 to promote chafing, and altogether fitted himself 

 out as uncomfortably as possible. Still, the get- 

 up served — at least, the desired end was reached, 

 as the weight came off all right. But at what 

 a cost to his poor feet ! 



Between two strong interests linked, the Gen- 

 eral Post Office and the Jockey Club combined, 

 against the Exchange Telegraph Company, has 

 for some time been waged a sort of one-sided 

 war. The news agency tries to beat the Depart- 

 ment at Newmarket by means of spirited experi- 

 ments in up-to-date getting-off and transmitting 

 news by telephone and wire. The Post Office 

 does not carry the war into the enemies' camp 

 by adopting their methods and giving the public 

 benefit of smarter services, but impedes, harasses, 



