He was the eldest son of a professional man, a struggling surgeon in a provincial town, who had recently died, leaving his widow with a family of five and the scantiest of means whereon to maintain, let alone educate, the same.
"The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley"
Bertram Mitford
Each one carried his food in the small saddle-bag of "rattel" skin, food of the scantiest-a strip of biltong, a pound or two of "ash cookies"-and slung from each bent shoulder was the powder-flask and bullet-bag.
"Tales from the Veld"
Ernest Glanville
A dozen men and as many women, in the scantiest costumes, lay on couches along each side of the table.
"Beric the Briton A Story of the Roman Invasion"
G. A. Henty