178 GOOD SPORT 



action. The appearance too of a level team going 

 well into their collars, as only generous-bred ones 

 know how, is an inspiring sight, unrivalled at 

 present by any mechanical means of transit valued 

 at thousands of pounds. Certainly all the way 

 down the road the approach of the coach is heralded 

 with signs of respect and delight by a rural com- 

 munity. Everywhere you may note the day- 

 labourer, the shop-keeper, or the travellers on the 

 road, proud to catch the coachman's eye and wave 

 a welcome. Those who are the stragglers of a past 

 generation go farther still, taking off their hat to 

 the coach, remaining uncovered until it has gone 

 •out of sight. The country-side is cheered and ani- 

 mated by the appearance of the coach, in the same 

 way that every one turns out to get a view of hounds 

 passing by. 



During the past three summers London has wel- 

 comed Mr. Alfred Vanderbilt from America, re- 

 viving the " Meteor " coach with a regular service 

 to and from Brighton. This is certainly a matter 

 for congratulation, because many had begun to think 

 that the fine old road was lost to coaching — a prey 

 to modern nuisances. About sixty horses, brought 

 from America, work the coach, eight changes being 

 made during the course of the journey, the enter- 

 prise necessarily being a costly one. 



A coach which covers a long distance daily at 

 a regulation pace requires, roughly speaking, one 

 liorse to every mile of ground. A team will do a 

 stage of five or six miles at top speed, with less 

 wear and tear to themselves than when longer 

 stages of ten or fifteen miles are covered without 

 drawing rein. It is therefore a matter of economy 

 to keep a large stable and furnish frequent relays, 

 when time has to be kept and the roads are hilly. 



