THE B. D. C, AND FOUR-HORSE CLUB. 275 



and ten miles ; and after taking some refreshment he 

 turned back, and drove it into London. In those 

 days there was no guard on this coach ; so that, what 

 with locking and unlocking wheels, and the regular busi- 

 ness on the road, he had quite enough to do, having no 

 one to help him. 



Although a good coachman, Mr. Warde, like most of 

 the old ones, is not without his fancies. He will not 

 hear of the long wheel-rein, neither will he bear up his 

 horses. His cattle, however, are of the steady sort, and 

 generally more calculated for strength than speed. He 

 has also another peculiarity in his coaching system. He 

 thinks baiting horses on a journey does them more harm 

 than good, therefore never stops them in their day's 

 work, unless to wash out their mouths. When he hunted 

 Northamptonshire, he always drove the same team to 

 London in a day, the distance being full sixty miles. 

 He still adheres to the same plan. 



My readers will be glad to hear that Mr. Warde is not 

 going to leave the road. He told me, a few weeks back, 

 that he had reserved a team out of his hunters, and that 

 he should soon be at work again. His present drag is 

 rather of the funny order. It is a gig upon very high 

 wheels, and an outrigger on the near side. As it is cus- 

 tomary to put a horse of this description on the off side, 

 I asked him his reason for changing his place, when he 

 gave me two reasons for doing so. ' First,' said he, 

 'when you meet another carriage, he is not in the way; 

 and secondly, if he should take to kicking, he hits your 

 man, and not you.'—' Good,' said I. 



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