CH. XIX PUBLIC COACHING 429 



mile of the road must be carefully studied ; a little 

 piece down-hill must be used to make time and to 

 compensate for a loss on another part, where for 

 some reason the pace has to be reduced ; a sharp 

 turn at the bottom of a hill must be remembered, 

 and the horses kept well in hand as they approach 

 it ; the exact minute of passing each point must be 

 learned by experience, in order that there shall be 

 no uncertainty as to whether or not the coach is on 

 time ; the pace on certain parts must be sometimes 

 modified, depending upon the weather, so that a 

 long hill may be taken slowly on a hot day with the 

 wind behind, even at the cost of increased speed 

 over some less trying stretch. A careful study of 

 these conditions makes a road more and more 

 interesting- the oftener it is driven over. 



Added to all this, the variety of passengers that 

 the coachman finds on a public coach is very enter- 

 taining, and there is something- so exhilarating in the 

 motion behind four horses, through the fresh air, 

 that even stupid people wake up and for once 

 make themselves agreeable. 



If a coachman is lucky enough to get a day's turn 

 on a strange coach, on a road new to him, it is most 

 interesting. His only guide as to time will be the 

 pace as determined by a study of the time-table, and 

 he must, therefore, depend upon his own judgement 

 of the rate at which his horses are going, and upon 

 an occasional hint from the guard, as to whether or 

 not he is keeping his time. 



