ROUGH ROAD 227 



a house I have before sjooken of, where they changed 

 horses and dined. 



I stopped to leave a passenger or parcel, Avhen, as the 

 drivers were sitting with a bottle of wine before them, 

 one of them asked me if I would take a glass ; I assented, 

 and the bottle was soon emptied. I called for another, 

 which was as quickly despatched, but they would not 

 suffer me to pay for it. While hurriedly tossing oiF the 

 last glass, one of my companions asked me what time I 

 intended to get to Portsmouth that evening, at the same 

 time I observed he gave his companion a wink. Having 

 answered, much about the usual time, I left. Thev too 

 Avere then ready to start, and as I had to change horses 

 about half a mile further doAvn the village, I drove off. 

 While I was changing, both passed at a swinging pace, 

 looking round and smiling, as much as to say, as I thought, 

 " Come along." Nothing loth, I mounted, and taking 

 hold of four, all nearly thorough-bred tits, I was soon 

 after them. 



Now, the road from Liphook to Petersfield, to speak 

 plainly, is all uj) and down hill, the two steepest being at 

 the end of the stage, and at that time it was extremely 

 hard and rough. After ascending the first rise, I saw my 

 two opponents, one a little in advance of the other, full 

 a mile distant, seemingly going very fast. I put my little 

 thorough-bred ones into a gallop, and as the road narrowed 

 in places, I had to mark in my mind where I could or 

 should pass them. 



The first, the " Regulator," I overtook going u^ the 

 hill out of the village of Rake, and passed him with the 

 greatest ease ; and the other, the "Hero," I could descry 



