ii6 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



clear rental of which was 8000 a year, and a considerable 

 sum of ready money as well, he having been for several 

 years a minor. His passion was, the roa<l : he had never 

 less than three, often four, teams at work at the 

 same time ; and at one period, when quartered at the 

 distance of nearly 100 miles from London, had the ground 

 absolutely "covered," as the term is, among coach pro- 

 prietors, with his own horses, and amused himself and 

 his friends by driving his coach between London and the 

 town in which he was quartered, whenever his inclination 

 prompted him. The pace, as may be imagined, was an 

 awful one ; I allude not to the rate at which the drag 

 travelled, but to that at which the cash found its exit out 

 of the Captain's pocket ; for champagne, at sixteen shillings 

 a bottle, was the ordinary "allowance" on the road, to 

 say nothing for the et ceteras in London. But, nil violentum 

 est mrpet uum, there was soon a stop to those proceedings ; 

 and here is the best part of the story, which cannot fail to 

 create a smile. The Captain, like our hero, had a rich 

 uncle, own brother to his father ; and having made his 

 fortune in trade, was the more readily alarmed at the 

 accounts he heard of his coaching nephew's proceedings, 

 especially so on finding that his bills and bonds were in 

 the market, with a rumour, now and then, that even 

 expectations from himself, at his decease, were anticipated 

 in his dealings with the money-lending crew. 



" Now something must be done," said the uncle to 

 himself, " to save this nephew of mine from perdition ; 

 perhaps the best step I can take will be to surprise him in 

 his folly, and at once convince him of its consequences." 

 Acting upon this suggestion, he put himself into the mail ; 

 and hearing, on his arrival in London, where his nephew 

 was then domiciled for the week, namely, at a celebrated 

 and most expensive inn, not fifty miles from London, the 

 following Jclaircissement took place on his entering the 

 stable-yard of the same : 



" Whose coach is that 1 " said he to a man having the 

 appearance of a helper in a stable. " Captain Askham's, 

 sir," was the reply. " And that ? " continued the uncle. 

 " Captain Askham's, sir," answered the helper. " And 

 that break 1 " " The Captain's, sir." " And that travelling 

 chariot 1 " " The Captain's, sir." 



Then turning into a stable in which there were six 

 fine coach-horses: "Whose horses are these?" was the 



