262 Four-in-Ha7id 171 Britain. 



were not a hotel in the place. So on we went. While 

 passing through Lugar, a pretty young miss ran out of 

 the telegraph ofifice, and holding up both hands, called : 

 " Stop ! It's no aff yet ! it's no aff yet ! " A message was 

 coming for the coaching party. It proved to be from 

 our Douglas landlord, saying, All right ! he would do 

 the best he could for us. When the party was informed 

 how much we had been trusting in Providence for the 

 past few hours, such was their enthusiasm that some dis- 

 appointment was expressed at the reassuring character 

 of the telegram. Not to know where we were going to 

 be all night — may be to have to lie in and on the coach 

 — would have been such fun ! But " Behind yon hill 

 where Lugar flows," sung by Eliza, sounded none the 

 less sweet when we knew we were not likely to have to 

 camp out upon its pretty banks. It is essential for 

 successful happy coaching with ladies that every com- 

 fort should be provided. I am satisfied it would never 

 do to risk the weaker sex coaching in any other land. 

 The extreme comfort of everything here alone keeps 

 them well and able to stand the gypsy life. 



We travelled most of the day among the ore lands and 

 blast furnaces of the Scotch pig-iron kings, the Bairds. 

 To reach Edinburgh we had to drive diagonally east- 

 ward across the country, for we had gone to the west- 

 ward that Dumfries and the Land of Burns might not 

 be missed. This route took us through less frequented 

 locahties, off the main lines of travel, but our experience 



