54 Hunting in the Golden Days, 



At one of the changes he would always dismount 

 and walk up to a sportive-looking old chestnut 

 leader, and give him an apple from his pocket, or, 

 perhaps, a little bit of biscuit. This was a particular 

 favourite, named " Skyraker," which had been in the 

 team for over ten years, and was supposed to have 

 more sense than an ordinary country yokel. Klinker 

 would talk like a father to a youngster that 

 perhaps had only been in harness a few times. 

 " vSteady, my lad," " take it easy," " all in good 

 time," " let the others have a chance," and so on, until 

 the horses seemed to understand all he said to them. 

 How proud he was of his coachers ! You should have 

 heard him proclaiming their virtues, picking out their 

 good points and omitting their weak ones. For he 

 remembered the old maxim : — 



Be to their virtues ever kind, 

 And to their failings ever blind. 



Then how good he was in giving hints to young 

 coachmen. If they drove with too slack reins, he would 

 say : " Ah, we must get the saddler to cut these reins 

 down a bit — they are too long." The young school said 

 he did not drive with sufficient dash, and that his horses 

 would do the journey easier if he sprung them more at 

 the hills. They would remark : " Now then, John, 

 wake 'em up a bit, you're not driving a hearse ! " But 

 he knew his business too well to be perturbed by this 

 magpie chatter. He drove as a gentleman, not as a 

 butcher, never cracking his whip and seldom using it. 



He was full of anecdote and information. He knew 

 more about places and people than any other man 

 in the county, and was thus able to make the time pass 

 pleasantly on a long stage. Atone particular part of the 

 journey there was a very steep hill, from the top of which 



