228 COACHING. 



The team came forth from the yard, and were 

 with some difficulty put to, for the near-side 

 wheel, a mare, was somewhat cantankerous ; 

 there was a lurking devil in her eye which fore- 

 boded mischief. She took an exception, in the 

 first place, to the pole pieces, and would not be 

 coupled up ; this, however, after a little dodging, 

 leaning, and squealing, was achieved, and then 

 came the start — or, rather, I should say the 

 time for starting ; not an inch, however, would 

 she budge. She planted her fore feet at a 

 most resisting angle in front of her, and there 

 she stuck ; the united forces of the leaders and 

 her collaborateur, the offside wheeler, were in- 

 sufficient to move her. Coaxing, persuasion, 

 and all sorts of soothing arts were lavished on 

 her in vain ; and as the suaviter in modo failed 

 the fortiter in re was tried, and with a better 

 result, for after shoving, thumping, and double 

 thonging, she suddenly bolted into her collar 

 and started off at an awful pace. Suffield kept 

 lier head straight, though for miles nothing could 

 stop her. 



At last the nonsense was taken out of her, 

 and we reached our destination in safety. The 

 mare, as may be imagined, was in no very 

 enviable plight ; she shook from head to foot ; 



