A STROLL WITHOUT MY RIFLE. 349 



some one used to be posted there to wait for him, and 

 directly he caught sight of his carriage dashing along, 

 he fired a pistol, that the people below might know 

 he was near, for Reute, as I suppose you know, is 

 just at the foot of the hill ; but though it is a good 

 way to the bottom, he used to come down at such 

 a rate that we could hardly get out the horses before 

 he was already there ; and then he wanted always to 

 be on again, and in the same moment too. I never 

 saw such a man before !" 



" And you never drove him ?" 



" No, I wish I had, for he always paid from the 

 hour the horses were ordered ; and when we waited 

 four or five days for him, the whole time was reckoned, 

 and some of my comrades got a fine sum. When once 

 the orders had come, those among us who were to 

 drive him were not allowed to leave the horses night 

 or day for a single minute : they used to lie down, 

 ready dressed, in the hay, and on his arrival were up 

 and off. Many and many a time I have heard them 

 tell about Herr Waghorn." 



" I wonder," said I, " the post-masters let their 

 horses be driven so fast, for they will not do it ge- 

 nerally." 



" But he paid for it. You know he did not pay 

 the usual sum, but double and treble ; and then, if a 

 horse was hurt, it was made good at once. At Kemp- 

 ten, I remember, one horse fell dead, at such a tre- 

 mendous rate did they drive along ; and the price the 

 post-master asked was paid down instantly, and with- 



