i8o BEGGARS ON HORSEBACK. 



it as if it were a forlorn hope. Perhaps the ostlers 

 and porters whom we waved aside were not as 

 conscious as we presently became that the Tom- 

 mies were more than willing to enter the box, 

 that they were hurrying up the clattering gang- 

 way, that they were almost ushering us into the 

 dark interior which we had' regarded with such 

 sympathetic alarms. The porters and ostlers 

 laughed, but it may have been from pure admir- 

 ation. The Corwen and Ruabon Railway seems 

 to be accustomed to the transportation of men- 

 ageries. Head - stalls that would have held a 

 buffalo were slipped upon the mildly aggrieved 

 pony faces, cables were attached to their nose- 

 bands on either side, and massive partitions were 

 let down between them. The Tommies were 

 obviously a little wounded, but beyond all other 

 emotions they were bored. 



There are more luxurious places than the slice 

 that is stingily cut off the end of a horse-box 

 and apportioned to grooms. It is as third class 

 as a third class on the Cork and Skibbereen 



