THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 305 



mind ye, I haven't had much practice of night work, my 

 lamps being only lit for an hour or two in the dead of the 

 winter ; but you shall have what you wish. First of all, 

 I examine my coaches before they leave the builder's 

 yard, to see that the best kind of stuff is put into them ; 

 and I am very particular about the pole fitting tight in 

 the futchels. Once a pole begins to swag in the futchels, 

 a little thing breaks it ; and, mind ye, it is one of the 

 main stays of a coach ! what the rudder is to the ship. 

 Then I never drive a shying horse as leader, if I can help 

 it ; but if he is too slight for the wheel of our coach, or 

 will not work well in that place, I always put a mope 

 over his face, which prevents his seeing anything beyond 

 a few yards of the road under his feet, and that's quite 

 enough. A coach-horse don't want to be a-looking about 

 him, no more than the man who drives him, unless it be 

 at his road. I am very particular about my harness 

 about the reins and billets. I watch the wearing parts, 

 and have them cut out and replaced in time, and 1 make 

 my horse-keepers beat the collars and keep them clean, so 

 that, in spite of the heavy loads my coach carries, and the 

 steep hills on our road, I never have a gib-horse, because 

 I never have a sore shoulder. In short, I hates to see a 

 broken skin about a coach-horse, and he never need have 

 one, if his coachman minds his business. Poor th ings ! 

 coach-horses have too often punishment enough in their 

 work, without being nearly flayed alive, as they are in 

 some hands. As for mine, they are as round as balls, and 

 as free from scars as you gentlemen's hunters are ; indeed, 

 people say I shall spoil the coach 1 by nursing them too 

 much, and not galloping headlong, as some of t'others do 

 on this road. But see what happens ; scarce a week but 

 one on 'em goes over. A gentleman comes up to me t'other 

 day, and says, ' Jem, what will you take me to Birming- 

 ham for ? ' ' My fare, sir,' said I, ' is fifteen shillings.' ' I 

 can go by the Rora (Aurora),' said he, 'for ten.' 'No 

 doubt, sir,' I replied, ' but then there's the doctor's bill ! ' 

 He went with me, and that very day they had an accident 

 with the Bx)ra." 



" Of what description 1 " asked Lord Edmonston. 



"They was a-galloping, my Lord, against the opposi- 

 tion, which was just behind them, and over they went." 



" And was anyone hurt ? " 



i Which he did. 

 20 



