A CHAPTER OF ANECDOTES. 153 



coming away from the Opera, on the shutting of the 

 door with the word (bawled out at the top of the voice 

 as usual) 'Home!' this horse invariably rushed into 

 his collar with a tremendous bound ; and this was the 

 Major's idea : ' I'll shout " Home ! " and get the bound ! ' 

 Acting up to this resolve, and keeping old ' Machiner's ' 

 head straight, the moment he felt sure a swerve was 

 coming at the brink of the water, giving the coach horse 

 one cut on his flanks as a reminder, he shouted with 

 all his might, 'Home!' — when a bound was the result," 

 causing the major and ' Machiner ' to land several feet on 

 the far side of the obstacle. 



Moral : Do not neglect to make use of your voice to 

 your horse when necessary, for it has its ' effect.' 



Fifty years ago many stage-coaches carried six inside 

 instead of four, but it would appear that the increase was 

 only in the number of passengers, and not in the room 

 provided for them. If this was a ' minor inconvenience,' 

 what should we now pronounce the greater to be ! ' Of 

 the coaches at that time,' Jehu says, ' I shall say but little 

 of several minor inconveniencies, such as cramming six 

 individual masses of human flesh into a space barely 

 sufficient to contain four ; because that point is generally 

 disposed of by the coachman, who very mathematically 

 observes that the motion of the vehicle will make them 

 settle and dove-tail as they go along!' It was not long 

 though before the old crawling, creaking, rattling, six- 

 inside vehicle gave way to the fast four-inside light coach. 



Here is a story of a traveller by a night mail who 

 was blessed with a greater length of leg than most men. 



