138 COACHING. 



and were assisting in unbinding the keepers. 

 Before the convicts were alarmed by the Liver- 

 pool coach, they had detached the horses from 

 the " Albion," probably, if necessary, to make 

 use of them in their flight. Most of them were 

 soon retaken. 



On the 13th an accident happened to the " Red 

 Rover," Manchester and London coach. When 

 it arrived at Stone, about twelve o'clock at night, 

 it had ten outside passengers and one inside. It 

 stopped as usual at the " Falcon Inn" to change 

 horses. When the fresh horses were put to, 

 eight of the outside passengers had resumed their 

 seats, the gentleman inside retaining his place. 

 The coachman and guard were one of them in the 

 yard, and the other in the kitchen of the inn. 

 The horses started off, turned the sharp corner 

 of the road leading to Stafford, and proceeded 

 at a moderate pace. The outside passengers, on 

 perceiving their situation, began to jump off 

 the coach, and by the time the coach had pro- 

 ceeded a quarter of a mile on the road every 

 outside passenger had quitted it. In their 

 falls they all received injuries more or less 

 severe. 



After the outside passengers had left the 

 " Red Rover," the horses still pursued their 



