500 THE RULE OF THE ROAD CH. XXII 



' crossed the main road. Traffic always stopped 

 ' for the soldiers : the mail could not get through, 

 'and Elwin, the guard, insisted on the Queen's 

 ' right. " Damn the soldiers ! drive through them, 

 'Watson!" he cried to the coachman. So the 

 ' coachman went for them, and the soldiers had to 

 'give way, amidst a fair amount of bad language 

 ' from the officers, which was freely and smartly 

 ' returned by the guard and one or two of the 

 ' passengers, especially as the officer had a glass 

 ' in his eye.' 



This sentiment undoubtedly extended itself to all 

 public-coaches, which were more or less identified in 

 the minds of the public with the mail service, and, 

 coupled with the fact that a public-coach is running 

 on time, it appeals to the sympathy of the ' horsey' 

 public of England, so that a public-coach and even 

 a private coach receives an amount of courtesy, 

 perhaps unconscious, not accorded to other vehicles. 

 The demand for the road, suggested by the horn 

 of a public-coach, is usually responded to with 

 alacrity and good nature in England, where it is 

 thoroughly understood, but with a private coach 

 it is not in ^ood taste to demand too much. 



In a city, it is certainly not well to use the horn 

 for such a purpose, but on a country road it may 

 properly take the place of the voice, in intimating 

 to a driver hidden under the cover of his wagon 

 that there are other people besides himself using 

 the road. 



