His mode of paying his fare evolves a climax of unconscious
impertinence. In order to have free use of one hand to pass up his
money, he grasps cane or umbrella with the other hand, by which he holds
the pendent strap. By this means he loses control of the lower end of
his stick, which thereby becomes an automatic instrument of torture,
menacing your face and eyes in quite a savage way. Indeed, his apparent
unconsciousness that he is a nuisance, and ought to be kicked out,
really approaches the sublime.
He is a pet of the driver, of course. Some innocent people wonder that
the drivers of omnibuses or cars should feel so very charitably disposed
toward the human family in general, as to take up extra passengers when
all seats are filled. Short-sighted mortals! Do you not see it! The more
passengers, beyond the complement of the "'bus," the more perquisites
for an ill-requited profession.
To return to our black sheep. Look where he stands. As he grows weary,
he grasps the straps on either side to steady him. His attitude is a
cunningly devised mode of tormenting his fellow-passengers. Either elbow
of our nondescript just reaches the hat of your opposite neighbor or
yourself. With each jolt of the stage, by a little dexterity of
movement, or want of it, he can knock the hats over the eyes of two
persons at a time, and by a little shifting of his position he can
frequently bring down four by a single spasmodic lunge.
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