THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



shaking Jem heartily by the hand ; he is an out-and-outer, as 

 we say of: a capital leader, but only thiidvot" his being the son of 

 a judge ! ' 



'He is as good a judge in our line, as his father ever was in 

 his,' said Joui, 'I don't think there is a steadier, better coachman 

 in England than his Honour is.' 



' I have heard a great deal of Mr. Kington,' said Lord 

 Edmonston, ' but I never chanced to come across him.' 



' Then, my Lord,' replied Jem, ' as the horses are put to, I 

 haven't time to tell you half I knows of him, now, but as we 

 goes along, I'll let you a bit into his history.' 



' Are you all right { ' cried Frank Raby, when he had seated 

 himself comfortably on his box ; and on the answer in the 

 affirmative being given, away went the team, the skewbald leader 

 taking to his collar without a single plunge, working admirably 

 throughout, with the privilege of having the bar. 



' Well,' said Jem ; ' a prettier team than this no man would 

 wish to sit behind,' 



' And well turned out, eh, Jem ? ' said Webber. 



' And well handled, too,' remarked Sir John. 



Jem nodded assent — merely observing that he should be a 

 better judge of that when they got to the top of a hill which was 

 before them, nearly a mile long. 



' But,' resumed Jem, ' I was a-going to tell you about that 

 there Mr. Kington — His Honour, as the coachmen and guards 

 all calls him on this road, and most others. Do you know, he 

 works almost as regular as we poor servants do, keeping fourteen 

 coach-horses in full employ. He drives to his country town, 

 fifteen miles from his house, and back, four days in the week, 

 and on some other road the other two, but, like me, he lays rest 

 on a Sunday ; that is to say, he only puts to a pair, and drives 

 his family to church. They tells me there is not a poor man 

 in distress in his parish, he is so kind to them all ; and as to 

 coachmen and guards, he has saved many of their souls as well 

 as their bodies.' 



' What do you mean by saving their bodies ? ' asked Lord 

 Edmonston. 



' Why, my Lord,' replied Jem, ' he saves 'em in two ways. 

 First, although all the coachmen and guards which pass 

 through his village have a glass of good ale, at the public, 

 chalked up to His Honour, he advises them not to drink spirits, 



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