COACHING 



be as comfortable as possible, and can sit with 

 your back or your face to the coach, or both^ if 

 you like." "Ah, ah," continues the old gentleman; 

 "something new again, I presume." However, the 

 mystery is cleared up ; the ladder is reared to the 

 hind wheel and the gentleman safely seated on the 

 gammon board. 



* Before ascending to his place our friend has 

 cast his eye on the team that is about to convey 

 him to Hartford Bridge, the next stage on the 

 great western road, and he perceives it to be of 

 a diflferent stamp from that which he had seen 

 taken from the coach at Bagshot. It consisted of 

 four moderate-sized horses, full of power, and still 

 fuller of condition, but with a fair sprinkling of 

 blood ; in short, the eye of a judge would have 

 discovered something about them not very unlike 

 galloping. **A11 right!" cried the guard, taking 

 his key-bugle^ in his hand ; and they proceeded 

 up the village, at a steady pace, to the tune of 

 ** Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled," and continued 

 at that pace for the first five miles. '*/ am landed" 

 thinks our friend to himself. Unluckily, however, 



^ Only the mail-coach guard carried a horn ; stage-coach guards used the 

 key-bugle, end some were very clever performers on it. 



35 



