CH. XIV ON THE ROAD 305 



part of the leg is at too much of an angle with the 

 foot-board. 



The coachman should sit straight, and square to the 

 front, his shoulders back, and his knees and feet close 

 together, his toes not projecting beyond the edge of 

 the foot-board. It is hardly necessary to add that 

 he should never cross his leg-s or have one foot in 

 advance of the other. If he sits with his feet drawn 

 back, off of their proper place on the foot-board, 

 he is merely preparing himself to be thrown on his 

 wheelers' backs, in case of striking a stone or a post. 



The whip is held by the right hand, at the ferule 

 (which is ten inches from the butt), and at an angle 

 of about forty-five degrees from the horizontal, and 

 forty-five degrees to the front. In this position the 

 thong is above the near wheeler, and the whole whip 

 is out of the way of a person on the box. If it is 

 nearer to this passenger, a sudden touch on a branch, 

 in passing, will drive the whip back into his face before 

 the coachman can stop it. If it is too low the loop 

 of the thong may touch, or catch on, passing vehicles. 



On the Road. — On a road which is not crowded, 



the coach should be kept near the centre, where the 



surface is usually hardest and smoothest, and where 



the coach will not incline to one side. On a crowded 



road, the proper side should be kept, or constant 



deviations in meeting vehicles will be necessary. 



The best place, in very crowded traffic, is just to the 



right of the centre line of the road ; advantage can 



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