THE WRONG REIN 27 



the guard — some of his passengers ridmg with me — I 

 de|)osited him safe at his home. Although I thought — 

 perhaps exclaimed — " For life is Hugh of Lambert 

 lame," he ultimately recovered, and resumed his seat 

 on the box, despite his gross misconduct, but went ever 

 after hopping to his grave. 



Some part of the coach had fallen upon him, and had 

 dislocated or materially injured the hip-joint. The real 

 cause of the accident, I believe, was his having his 

 leader's reins wrong between his fingers, which was done 

 when he took them in his hurry to start, from his box 

 companion, without properly adjusting them. In going 

 round the corner or bend by the " Bald-faced Stag," when 

 he found himself too near the fence, he pulled the wrong 

 rein, Avhich caused his leaders to hug the fence, and, the 

 fore-carriao-e strikino; ao;ainst it, overthrew the coach into 

 the road. He thus committed an act of gross care- 

 lessness, or, to say the least, disj^layed a want of know- 

 ledge of the rudiments of his profession. 



I remember a gentleman, now long deceased, whom I 

 would class as Al among many of the same rank who 

 one and all so liberally and so kindly patronized me 

 on my last stage. This most excellent specimen of 

 a country gentleman ^ frequently honoured me with his 

 company on the box, and was always most particular 

 in giving me the reins after 1 had remounted, always 

 separating them and saying, " There are your leaders, 

 sir, and there your wheel-horses ; " rather overstrained 

 precaution, perhaps, and approaching a little to what 



^ — Tyssen, Esq., of Narborough. 



