THE PORTSMOUTH ROAD 



181 



about four miles through the forest of Bere ; in which 

 tract of country the " old coachman " of the racing 

 episode, enjoyed a further adventure in a thick fog, and 

 a rime frost upsetting his coach with a noise like the 

 report of cannon while he was listening to the aimless 

 babblings of a loquacious passenger. The coach was 

 not empty on this occasion either. On the contrary 

 there were four young ladies inside it, who must have 



urn 





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Racing the Mail. 



been artless creatures indeed, for they were fast asleep 

 when the coach was upset, and woke up when it was 

 being restored to its equilibrium, and remarked, "What 

 is it ? ' Some gipsies who were chiefly instrumental in 

 removing the coach from its side, showed themselves 

 more wide-awake ; for mistrusting the gratitude of 

 upset coachmen while with one set of hands they 

 reared the upset coach, with the other set of hands they 



