104 



COACHING DAYS AND COACHING WAYS 



" Oh, sir, we always ' spring them ' over these six 

 miles. It is what we call the 'hospital ground';" 

 which fateful phrase being interpreted turns out to mean 

 that it is ground particularly adapted to horses suffering 

 from the varying peculiarities of (i) having backs which 

 are getting down instead of up in their work ; (2) of not 

 being able to hold an ounce down hill, or draw an ounce 

 up ; (3) of kicking over the pole one day, and over the 



Puttinz-to the Team. 



bars the next; all of which gifts qualify them to work 

 these six miles, because here they have nothing to do 

 but to gallop. This they proceed to do in the fullest 

 acceptation of the term. Some expletives in vogue when 

 George the Third was king are now heard inside the 

 coach, and seem to come from the old gentleman's 

 corner. He looks out and sees death and destruction 

 before his eyes, the horses going at the rate of a mile in 



