Terry: >I seem to remember that I read an item on this somewhere in the distant past >of two things he could be. That a leaper was the guy who jumped from barge >to barge while in motion on a river. The second one is he could also be the >guy that jumps ashore with ropes to moor a boat. I've no idea if this is the case here. Thanks for that; it seems to square rather well with Edna's suggestion. As you may have read, the other suggestion I have had is leper. Regards, John Moore