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seated himself in the bottom of the show, invisible to mortal eyes and
disdainful of the company of his fellow creatures, when two
monstrous shadows were seen stalking towards them from a turning
in the road by which they had come. The child was at first quite
terrified by the sight of these gaunt giants - for such they looked as
they advanced with lofty strides beneath the shadow of the trees - but
Short, telling her there was nothing to fear, blew a blast upon the
trumpet, which was answered by a cheerful shout.
'
'
'
It's Grinder's lot, an't it?' cried Mr Short in a loud key.
Yes,' replied a couple of shrill voices.
Come on then,' said Short. 'Let's have a look at you. I thought it was
you.'
Thus invited, 'Grinder's lot' approached with redoubled speed and
soon came up with the little party.
Mr Grinder's company, familiarly termed a lot, consisted of a young
gentleman and a young lady on stilts, and Mr Grinder himself, who
used his natural legs for pedestrian purposes and carried at his back
a drum. The public costume of the young people was of the Highland
kind, but the night being damp and cold, the young gentleman wore
over his kilt a man's pea jacket reaching to his ankles, and a glazed
hat; the young lady too was muffled in an old cloth pelisse and had a
handkerchief tied about her head. Their Scotch bonnets, ornamented
with plumes of jet black feathers, Mr Grinder carried on his
instrument.
'
'
Bound for the races, I see,' said Mr Grinder coming up out of breath.
So are we. How are you, Short?' With that they shook hands in a very
friendly manner. The young people being too high up for the ordinary
salutations, saluted Short after their own fashion. The young
gentleman twisted up his right stilt and patted him on the shoulder,
and the young lady rattled her tambourine.
'
Practice?' said Short, pointing to the stilts.
'
'
No,' returned Grinder. 'It comes either to walkin' in 'em or carryin' of
em, and they like walkin' in 'em best. It's wery pleasant for the
prospects. Which road are you takin'? We go the nighest.'
'Why, the fact is,' said Short, 'that we are going the longest way,
because then we could stop for the night, a mile and a half on. But
three or four mile gained to-night is so many saved to-morrow, and if
you keep on, I think our best way is to do the same.'
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