acco, the drugget
lining was moved sufficiently for him to discharge his cargo against the
inside of the carriage; after which, the drugget was replaced, and the
effect of the discharge concealed thereby. This drugget lining must have
been invaluable to him; for upon another occasion, it did duty for a
pocket-handkerchief. I must say, that when I saw the otherwise
respectable appearance of the culprit, his filthy practices astounded
me. Behind us were two gentlemen who were returning to Louisville, and
whom we found very agreeable.

We stopped for breakfast at a wayside pot-house sort of place; but,
before feasting, we wanted to wash ourselves. The conveniences for that
purpose were a jug, a basin, and a piece of soap, on a bench in the open
court, which, as it was raining pretty smartly, was a very ingenious
method of dissuasion, particularly as your pocket-handkerchief, or the
sleeve of your shirt, had to supply the place of a towel. The meal was
as dissuasive as the washing arrangements, and I was glad when the
trumpet summoned us to coach. I made an effort to sleep, for which
purpose I closed my eyes, but in vain; however, the expectorating
_vis-a-vis,_ who was also a chilly bird, thought he had caught me
napping, and said to his fat neighbour,--"I say, the old gentleman's
asleep, pull up the window." The fat 'un did so, and I kept perfectly
quiet. In a few minutes I began to breathe heavily, and then, awaking as
it were with a groan, I complained of suffocation, and, dashing down the
window, poked out my head and panted for fresh air: they were very civil
all the rest of the journey, and never asked for the window to be shut
again. In the course of the day, I found out that the fat boy opposite
was connected with a circus company, and from him I gleaned something of
their history, which I hope may not be uninteresting to the reader.

Each company has a puffer, or advertiser, who is sent on a week before
the company, to get bills printed, and see them posted up and
distributed to the best advantage, in the places at which the company
intend to perform. This was the fat boy's occupation, and for it he
received eight pounds a month and his travelling expenses.

His company consisted of seventy-five bipeds and one hundred and
twenty-five quadrupeds. Of the bipeds, twelve were performers, two being
women; the pay varied from sixteen pounds a month to the chief Amazonian
lady, down as low as five pounds a month to the