294 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



" Beg pardon, my Lord, for interrupting you," said Jem ; 

 and, touching our hero on the shoulder, thus quaintly 

 addressed him: "Beg pardon, Mr. Raby, but I should 

 like to hear your bars rattle a little down this next hill. 

 Excuse me, sir, but, on the last, you committed a fault 

 which most young coachmen commit you let your 

 leaders draw, which of course makes it worse for your 

 wheelers. Always let your bars rattle a little, going 

 down hill." 



" That near leader over-pulls me," said Frank. 



" I observe he does," replied Jem ; " pull his rein three 

 inches through your hand, and gripe it tightly with your 

 thumb ; and when your horses are on their collars, keep 

 your wheelers \ip to him, and he will not pull you so 

 much. But I'll alter his coupling-rein for you when we 

 get to Sir Harry's." 



" That's right, Jem," said Hargrave, " let us have no 

 more cocking at present ; give us something on the 

 road." 



" A little of your history," added Lord Edmonston. 



" Why that will be rather a longish story, my Lord," 

 replied Jem ; " I think we had better leave it till we are 

 on the road homewards. A little of Sir Harry's beef, and 

 a glass or two of his good ale, will make my tongue run 

 more glib." 



" Like a newly -greased wheel eh, Jem ? " said Jack 

 Webber. 



Arrived at Townley Park, they found the worthy 

 Baronet expecting them, and with a really good luncheon 

 on his dinner-table ; for which a twenty-four miles' ride 

 through the balmy air of a spring morning, added to the 

 cheerful talk on the road, had given them a keen appe- 

 tite. And by rather a curious coincidence, at the very 

 moment in which they drove up to the door, another 

 coach was to be seen at the farther end of the park, in 

 which were four strapping brown horses, trotting away at 

 the rate of, at least, twelve miles in the hour, with apparent 

 ease to themselves, and in the hands of a perfect master of 

 his art. This proved to be the splendid turn-out of Mr. 

 Herson, a neighbour of Sir Harry's, who chanced to call 

 on him at that hour ; and when it is stated that he gave 

 400 guineas for the leaders which he had this day at work, 

 their fine appearance and paces can be very readily 

 accounted for. But to the arrival of our hero and his 



