On one occasion a pirate scored off its opponents in a novel way. Having made several ineffectual attempts to obtain passengers, it started off into the country, followed by its “nurse.” When they had travelled some miles the driver of the respectable omnibus was surprised by seeing a gate suddenly closed in front of his horses, preventing him from following the pirate. At the same moment a gate clanged behind him, and, looking round, he discovered that he had been trapped. He had, in fact, followed the pirate on to its proprietor’s little farm. “’Ere you are, and ’ere you’ll stay,” the irate owner declared, with many oaths; while the pirate driver, with taunting shouts of laughter, whipped up his horses and started back to town. The farmer omnibus-proprietor made no attempt to detain the Association’s men, but its omnibus and horses he held prisoners until the following morning, releasing them one hour after his own omnibus had started out. In 1855 the London General Omnibus Company came into existence, and had been established but a very short time when the pirates were repainted and lettered in close imitation of its omnibuses. They have continued to imitate them, but not always with impunity, ever since, and many thousands of people have entered pirates firmly believing they were the Company’s vehicles. Nine or ten years ago the pirates’ audacity in imitating the general appearance of the London General omnibuses was at its height, and certainly the imitations of their decoration and lettering were excellent enough to deceive all but the very wary. Unable to paint “London General Omnibus Company, Limited,” on their panels, they had in its place some inscription which might, at a glance, be taken for it. The favourite one was “London General Post Office, Lothbury.” There are also many pirates who lure passengers into their omnibuses by having them painted to resemble the London Road Car Company’s vehicles. The pirate is naturally of a roving disposition, and by no means restricts itself to one route: a “Kilburn” may be seen at Blackwall, or a “Bayswater” at Bethnal Green. But Oxford Circus is the place best loved by pirates, and any day of the week they can be seen walking to and fro, ready to begin their journey as soon as they see a number of ladies waiting on the pavement.