The Coachmaster 



" I'd have clone it, my boy," said my 

 Father in after years, as he told me of the 

 awkward handful he found in those four 

 horses, "if I'd only been able to get four 

 old bulls I'd have done it !" And I believe 

 he would. 



My Father had been married some years 

 and was finding it hard enough to keep a 

 wife and a growing group of youngsters 

 on his wages from Rudd, when the little 

 company of old passengers of earlier men- 

 tion, clubbed together and lent him ^looo 

 wherewith to set up coach and horses of 

 his own, on condition that he would never 

 lower his prices. Exceedingly wroth were 

 the young Rudds at the proceeding, and 

 determined promptly to reduce the price of 

 seats on their own coaches, and caused bills 

 announcing the fact to the travelling public 

 to be printed. Old Rudd happening to 

 meet his son carrying a bundle of them 

 fresh from the printer's, seized them, and 

 glancing hastily through the first, tore the 

 whole lot across and threw them on the 

 ground. '* Damn you all!" he roared, 

 kicking the frao^ments about the office. 

 '* It shall never be said I helped to ruin a 

 man's family ! " And so the matter ended, 

 and they did not succeed in underselling 

 my Father. 



40 



