COACHMEN. 103 



a house I have before spoken of, 

 where they changed horses and dined. 



I stopped to leave a passenger or par- 

 cel, when, as the drivers were sitting 

 with a bottle of wine before them, one 

 of them asked me if I would take a 

 glass ; I assented, and the bottle was 

 soon emptied. I called for another, 

 which was as quickly despatched, but 

 they would not suffer me to pay for 

 it. While hurriedly tossing off the last 

 glass, one of my companions asked me 

 what time I intended to get to Ports- 

 mouth that evening, at the same time 

 I observed he gave his companion a 

 wink. Having answered, much about 

 the usual time, I left. They too were 

 then ready to start, and as I had to 

 change horses about half a mile fur- 

 ther down the village, I drove off. 

 While I was changing, both passed 

 at a swinging pace, looking round and 



