2 86 GETTING UP CH. XIV 



after putting-to, and then taking the near lead-rein 

 in his left hand, draws it until it comes tight from 

 the leader's bit. He then drops his hand, slipping it 

 along the rein until his arm hangs straight down by 

 his side. He draws the off lead rein with his right 

 hand until it comes tight, and, passing it into the 

 left hand, pulls it forward with the right until the 

 buckle ends of the rein are even ; this makes ex- 

 actly the proper amount of slack in the off rein 

 and ensures both reins being of the same length 

 when the coachman gets on the box. He then 

 passes both reins into his right hand, holding them 

 at the same point at which his left hand grasped 

 them. He does precisely the same thing with the 

 wheel-reins, and holds them all in his right hand in 

 the proper fingers, that is, with the near lead-rein 

 on top of his first finger, the off lead-rein and the 

 near wheel-rein between the first and second fingers, 

 lead on top, and the off wheel rein between the 

 second and third fingers. 



This may be also done more simply by taking 

 all the reins in the left hand and drawing them as 

 tight as the shortest will permit, then tightening the 

 others in succession, and finally pulling out the off 

 reins ten or twelve inches, after which they are 

 passed properly divided, into the right hand. 



If the reins are of the proper length, as noted on 

 page 226, the ends will not hang down too far behind 

 the hand. If they are longer than there specified, 

 the ends should be thrown over the right arm, from 



