good humour with pleasant chat, while a bargain was proceeding, his
glance perpetually wandered to the moving crowd around the pens, and
that he had not only eyes, but ears, open to catch any impression
bearing on the progress of the general trade. He knew everybody, and
intuition told him upon what business they were present.

These two dealers combined money-lending with sheep-dealing; if a
buyer had not the ready cash they would give credit for the purchase
price, the sheep forming the security; it being understood that when
they were again for sale the lenders should have the selling of them
on commission.

Speaking of horse-dealers I referred to the custom of giving "luck
money," otherwise called "chap money." The word "chap" takes its
derivation from the Anglo-Saxon _ceap_ price or bargain, and
_ceapean_, to bargain, whence come the words "chop," to exchange;
"cheap," "Cheapside," "Mealcheapen Street" in Worcester, "cheapjack,"
etc. Also, the prefix in the names of market towns, such as Chipping
Campden, Chipping Norton, etc. There is a curious place-name here in
Burley, New Forest, where I am now living, spelt "Shappen," which
puzzled me until I chanced to meet with an ancient print of a village
merry-making, with dancing and a May-pole and found that the name
Shappen applied especially to the spot, and that not far away the
Forest ponies and cattle were formerly penned for sale at an annual
fair in a lane, still called Pound Lane "Pound" is from the
Anglo-Saxon _pund_, a fold or inclosure. Shappen is evidently,
therefore, derived from _ceap_ (and possibly _pund_) as a place in
which bargains were struck, and the name testifies to the extreme
antiquity of the New Forest pony and cattle fair formerly held there.