292 ANNALS OF THE ROAD. 



and the lamps were lit ; but the old grey leader brought 

 his coach down a narrow street, and turned an awkward 

 corner in grand style, stopping at the Post Office as 

 usual. Seeing a crowd collect about the coach, the pas- 

 sengers began to enquire what the matter was, not having 

 been previously aware of their alarming situation. What 

 renders this more extraordinary, is the fact of the coach 

 having passed three waggons in the four miles of ground. 

 At one period of my life I used to work a good deal on 

 those paved roads, and have been much struck with the 

 sagacity of the wheel horses that have been some time 

 at work on them ; for the moment they perceived the 

 wheels on their side the coach were off the pavement, 

 the)- would, of their own accord, get them on again, being 

 aware of the increased draught. 



Although I have said I never witnessed a bad acci- 

 dent by a coach, I have been within an ace of it two or 

 three times. I was once driving a very quick opposition 

 for a coachman who wanted a few days' rest, when the 

 man who was at work on the coach that was running 

 against me was killed. These coaches were in the habit 

 of galloping by each other, and we had had a taste of it 

 on this day. At last my opponent ran by me at a tre- 

 mendous pace, his coach swinging in a frightful manner. 

 We pulled up shortly after at a watering house, when I 

 told him I thought his coach did not carry her load 

 steadily. He smiled, and said 'all was right.' He pro- 

 ceeded, and, turning round a corner at a rapid rate, 

 she swung over, and he was killed. His name was Jem 

 Robins, a very pretty coachman, and he drove the oppo- 



