THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



minds his business. Poor things ! coach-horses have too 

 often punisliment enough in their work, without being nearly 

 flayed alive, as they are in some hands. As for mine, they 

 are as round as balls, and as free from scars as you gentle- 

 men's hunters are ; indeed, people say I shall spoil the coach ^ 

 by nursing them too much, and not galloping headlong, as 

 some of t' others do on this road. But see what happens ; 

 scarce a week but one on 'em goes over. A gentleman comes 

 up to me t' other day, and says, " Jem, what will you take me 

 to Birmingham for ? " " My fare, sir," said I, " is fifteen 

 shillings." " I can go by the Rora (Aurora)," said he, " for ten." 

 " No doubt, sir," I replied, " but then there's the doctor's bill ! " 

 He went with me, and that very day they had an accident with 

 the Rora.' 



' Of what description ? ' asked Lord Edmonston. 



' They was a-galloping, my Lord, against the opposition, 

 which was just behind them, and over they went.' 



' And was any one hurt ? ' 



' Several, my Lord.' 



' Of course tlie opposition stopped to afford assistance to the 

 passengers ? ' 



' Not a bit of it, my Lord ; one gentleman told me that, as 

 he was in the act of rolling away from the coach, he heard the 

 opposition coacliman sing out to the other, as he galloped by — 

 " What, Joe, your bees are a-swarming this fine morning, are 

 tliey ? " Then again,' resumed Jem, ' I takes a precaution 

 that, perhaps, few others does. On my two worst hills, I 

 gives the man who looks after the road, a pot of beer, now 

 and then, to leave a few yards of loose stone or gravel in two, 

 or perhaps three, places on the near side ; when I feel the 

 coach press on the wheel-horses going down these hills, I run 

 her into this loose stone, or gravel, and, if it don't quite balance 

 her, it so far checks her as to make all safe. Then, as this 

 prevents my putting on the skid, I can let 'em go towards the 

 bottom, and ' 



' Let them avail themselves of the impetus of motion — the 

 vis vivida, as we call it,' observed Lord Edmonston. 



'/ calls it cheating 'cm out of half the opposite hill,' said 

 Jem. 



1 Which he did. 



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