ACCIDENTS 201 



There were innumerable instances of horses starting 

 when the coachman was absent from the box, and, 

 though coaches were occasionally upset thereby, it is a 

 remarkable tribute to the sagacity of the horses that 

 more often than not they trotted soberly along till they 

 reached the next stage, where they drew up at the 

 accustomed halting place. The "outsides" had in the 

 meanwhile hurled themselves into space, and injured 

 themselves in divers ways, while the "insides" verified 

 the proverb that ignorance is bliss, and were perfedlly 

 unaware that anything untoward had happened. 



The Exeter mail met with an experience unique 

 in coaching annals. One night in October 1816 the 

 coach left Salisbury as usual and proceeded on its 

 lonely way over Salisbury Plain. Presently a large 

 animal crept out of the darkness and trotted along beside 

 the horses. It being impossible to see the creature with 

 any distinftness, there was some speculation as to its 

 kind, but the coachman and guard eventually agreed 

 that it was a calf. The horses did not like it whatever 

 it was, and became more and more nervous and excited. 



The mail drew up at Winterslow Hut to deliver the 

 mail-bags, and instantly the strange animal sprang 

 upon the off leader, and revealed itself to be not a calf, 

 but a full-grown lioness. Instantly all was confusion, 

 the horses plunged in extremity of terror and threatened 

 every moment to overturn the coach. The coachman, 

 a brave man who could not see his horse killed before his 

 eyes, drew out his knife and prepared to attack the 

 lioness with that ineffeftive weapon. The guard besought 



