DONCASTER REMINISCENCES 237 



proceeded, as mentioned, to the pubs, and joined 

 in friendly chorus — eight a.m. is a favourite time 

 for a smoking concert on Sellinger days — and 

 all of a row they would make their way, making 

 way for no one, up the High Street and along 

 the Bawtrey road to do their day's sport, and 

 bet, the lot of them, with the same outside 

 bookie, who would, you might reckon, be safe 

 to settle with them if they won, because the 

 party built round him from the moment their 

 money went on till '' Pay ! " '' Pay ! " is called. 



I suppose few have seen pitch-and-toss played 

 on the grand scale as is baccarat at casinos, 

 and kursaals, spas, clubs, and the like. Go to 

 the Town Moor early, and you shall find the 

 sport carried out on most scientific principles, 

 with many pounds depending each chuck on the 

 pitcher's heading or tailing them, and a ring of 

 up to a hundred ''punting at the tables" or 

 looking on. I suppose there must be a '' fake " 

 in it, because I have noticed the same heads 

 keeping the game going day after day ; but, on 

 the face of it, the gambling seems straight 

 enough, and the turnover is something surprising. 

 If you have nothing about you worth ''pinching," 

 and can spare the time, you may get plenty of 

 amusement by watching the lads at work, or play, 

 at this diversion. You can also be otherwise 

 accommodated at almost every description of 

 thieving joint imaginable, from the three-card 

 performance down, or up, to the very latest 

 invention in the way of roulette, played with a 

 marble descending "a spinal staircase" after the 

 fashion of ancient lollypop-shop " dolly " machines. 



In Flying Fox's year, I actually got excited 

 over the St Leger. Everybody else followed 



