now, who was getting up Scotch one pound
notes when I was 'copt,' and he is a capital hand at the trade. He once
made a good deal by making snyde postage stamps."

"But one would require to know something about the different metals
before they could be able to make 'snyde.'"

"Yes, that is necessary, but I think I know who will tell you. He has
got twenty years, and is not likely to get a chance of doing more at
the trade. These fellows who follow that racket are rather close, and
don't want to tell anyone."

"The other day I heard a bloke talking about a 'picking-up moll' he
used to live with. What did he mean by that?"

"O! that's a very common racket. He meant a 'flash-tail,' or prostitute
who goes about the streets at nights trying to pick up 'toffs.' When
she manages to do this her accomplice the coshman (a man who carries a
'cosh' or life preserver) comes up, when she has signed to him that she
has got the 'toff's' watch and chain, and quarrels with him for
meddling with his wife. Whilst the quarrel is going on the moll walks
off with the booty. I know one coshman who pretends to be a missionary,
and wears a white choker. Instead of quarrelling, he talks seriously to
the 'toff' about the sin of fornication, and advises him to pursue a
more becoming life in future, and finishes off by giving him a
religious tract!"

"Now I have nearly finished my questions, but whilst there is time tell
me about 'magging,' and 'mag-flying.'"

"Magging is not so good a game as it used to be. It means more
particularly, swindling a greenhorn out of his cash by the mere gift of
the gab. You know if it were not for the flats, how could the sharps
live? You can 'mag' a man at any time you are playing cards or at
billiards, and in various other ways. As for 'mag-flying,' that is not
good for much. You have seen those blokes at fairs and races, throwing
up coppers, or playing at pitch and toss? Well these are 'mag-flyers.'
The way they do it is to have a penny with two heads or two tails on
it, which they call a 'grey,' and of course they can easily dupe flats
from the country."

"How do they call it a 'grey,' I wonder?"

"I suppose they have named it after Sir George Grey, because he is a
two-faced bloke."

"Well then tell me about 'locusing,' and 'bellowsing.'"

"Locusing is putting a chap to sleep with chloroform, and bellowsing is
putting his light out. In other words, drugging and murder."

"Now then, shew me how to han