HINTS TO BEGINNERS. 



123 



assistance of your left get up on your box as quietly yet as 

 quickly as you can. When there, at once pass the reins back 

 into your left hand, and you will find the once apparent un- 

 evenness in the length of them has vanished, that they are 

 perfectly level, and only want taking up or letting slip out an 

 inch or two at the most to be ready to go. Then take your 

 whip out of its socket, and make it an invariable practice never 

 to start without having it in your hand. 



There are no rules without exceptions, and the rules laid 

 down and accepted about driving in general, and four-horse 

 driving in particular, must necessarily have more exceptions 

 than any other code, because circumstances are continually 

 changing, and even the best-broken team will very seldom go 

 together two days exactly the same. 



Having got your reins and your whip all right (the difficulty 

 about the manipulation of the latter article we will for the time 

 suppose to have been surmounted), a start must be made, and 



