This gaffer contrived to 'bilk' all the turnpikes in the kingdom.
In going to a fight or to a race-course, when he reached a
turnpike he held a shilling between his fingers, and said to the
gatekeeper--'Here, catch,' and made a movement of the hand
towards the man, who endeavoured to catch what he saw. The
shilling, however, by a backward jerk, ran down the sleeve of the
coat, as if it had life in it, and the gate-keeper turned round
to look in the dust, when the tall gaffer drove on, saying--'Keep
the change.'
A young fellow, who previously was a marker at a billiard-table,
and who had the appearance of a soft, inexperienced country-lad,
was another great hand at gaffing. There was a strong adhesive
power in his hand, and such exquisite sensibility about it, that
he could ascertain by dropping his palm, even upon a worn-out
half-penny or shilling, what side was turned up. Indeed, so
perfect a master was he of the science that Breslaw could never
have done more upon cards than he could do with a pair of 'grays'
(gaffing-coins).
A well-known macer, who was celebrated for slipping an 'old
gentleman' (a long card) into the pack, and was the inheritor by
birth of all the propensities of this description, although the
inheritance was equally divided between his brother and himself,
got hold of a young fellow who had L170 in his pocket, and
introduced him to one of the 'cock-and-hen' houses near Drury
Lane Theatre, well-primed with wine.
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