NARROW ESCAPE. 139 



course, and when the Birmingham and Liver- 

 pool Mail met them near Ashton they were going 

 at a comparatively steady pace. The " Beehive" 

 afterwards met them near the turnpike gate, 

 at which they were on the full gallop. They 

 avoided, however, any colhsion with the " Bee- 

 hive," as they had previously done with the 

 mail. 



On arriving at Tillington, about a mile from 

 Stafford, the coach was upset. The gentleman 

 inside, having early learned the situation in 

 which he was placed, took his seat on the floor 

 of the coach, and did not stir durins^ the whole 

 time ; the consequence was that he escaped with- 

 out the slightest injury. 



In August, 1839, on the arrival of the Fal- 

 mouth Mail at Bodmin, many persons, as is 

 usual at the assizes, were waiting to proceed by 

 it to Exeter, and four inside and three outside 

 passengers were taken up there. The coach was 

 driven by a man who was not the regular 

 coachman, but was considered to be an experi- 

 enced and sober man. The guard was a young 

 man who had been but recently placed upon that 

 station, and was not very well accustomed to the 

 road. 



After proceeding a short distance the passen- 



