DOWN THE ROAD IN DAYS OF YORE 91 



no sporting advantage to him, for he is only a 

 Cockney tradesman, who has never even driven 

 a trap, let alone four-in-hand. So when each 

 whip in turn asked him the questions, con- 

 ventional among' whips, " whether he had his 

 driving-gloves on, and Avould like to take the 

 rihhons for the next few miles," he evaded the 

 offer hy "not being in form," or not knowing 

 the road, or something else equally annoying to 

 the coachman, who, in not having an amateur of 

 drivins: on the hox, therehv missed the canonical 

 tip of anything from seven shillings to half a 

 sovereign which the handling of the reins for 

 twenty miles or so was Avorth to the ordinary 

 sportsman. 



Our new coachman, on our starting from 

 Northallerton, keeps the seat beside him vacant. 

 He says he has a joassenger for it doAvn the road. 

 Tom Layfield, for that is the name of our present 

 charioteer, Avorks the "Wellington" up and down 

 between this and Newcastle on alternate days, 

 Ralph Soulsby being the coachman on the other. 

 Tom Layfield is a very prim-looking, tall and 

 spare man, tutor in coachmanship to many gentle- 

 men on these last fifty-five miles ; and it does not 

 surprise some of us when, jiassing Great Smeaton, 

 we are hailed by a very " down the road " looking 

 young man, whose hat is cocked at a knowing 

 angle, and whose entire get-uji, from the gigantic 

 mother-o' -pearl buttons on his light overcoat to 

 the big scarf-pin in the semblance of a galloping 

 coach and horses, proclaims "amateur coachman." 



