COACHING 



slender insides, two well-laden boots, and three 

 huge trunks in the slide. The gentleman of the last 

 century, however, becomes alarmed — is sure the 

 horses are running away with the coach — declares 

 he perceives by the shadow that there is nobody on 

 the box, and can see the reins dangling about the 

 horses' heels. He attempts to look out of the 

 window, but his fellow-traveller dissuades him from 

 doing so: **You may get a shot in your eye from 

 the wheel. Keep your head in the coach, it*s all 

 right, depend on *t. We always spring 'em over 

 this stage." Persuasion is useless ; for the horses 

 increase their speed and the worthy old gentleman 

 looks out. But what does he see? Death and 

 destruction before his eyes ? No : to his surprise 

 he finds the coachman firm at his post, and in the 

 act of taking a pinch of snuff from the gentleman 

 who sits beside him on the bench, his horses going 

 at the rate of a mile in three minutes at the time. 

 "But suppose anything should break, or a linchpin 

 should give way and let a wheel loose?" is the 

 next appeal to the communicative but not very con- 

 soling proprietor. ** Nothing can break, sir," is the 

 reply; *'all of the very best stuff; axletrees of the 



23 



