COACHING 



It is a strong, well-built drag, painted what is called chocolate 

 colour, bedaubed all over with gilt letters — a bull's head on the 

 doors, a Saracen's head on the hind boot, and draAvn by four 

 strapping horses ; but it wants the neatness of the other. The 

 passengers may be, by a shade or two, of a lower order than 

 those who had gone forward with the Comet ; nor, perhaps, is 

 the coachman quite so refined as the one we have just taken 

 leave of. He has not the neat white hat, the clean doeskin 

 gloves, the well-cut trousers, and dapper frock ; but still his 

 appearance is respectable, and perhaps, in the eyes of many, 

 more in character with his calling. Neither has he the agility 

 of the artist on the Comet, for he is nearly double his size ; but 

 he is a strong powerful man, and might be called a pattern card 

 of the heavy coachman of the present day — in other words, of a 

 man who drives a coach which carries sixteen passengers instead 

 of fourteen, and is rated at eight miles an hour instead of ten, 

 " What room in the Regulator ? " says om- friend to the waiter, 

 as he comes to announce its arrival. " Full inside, sir, and in 

 front ; but you '11 have the gammon board all to yourself, and 

 your luggage is in the hind boot." " Gammon board ! Pray, 

 what 's that ? Do you not mean the basket ? " ^ " Oh no, 

 sir," says John, smiling ; " no such thing on the road now. 

 It is the hind-dickey, as some call it ; where you '11 be as 

 comfortable as possible, and can sit with your back or your 

 face to the coach, or both, if you like." " Ah, ah," continues 

 the old gentleman ; " something new again, I presume." 

 However, the mystery is cleared up ; the ladder is reared to 

 the hind wheel, and the gentleman safely seated on the gammon 

 board. 



' Before ascending to his place, our friend has cast his eye 

 on the team that is about to convey him to Hartford Bridge, 

 the next stage on the great western road, and he perceives it 

 to be of a different stamp from that which he had seen taken 

 from the coach at Bagshot. It consisted of four moderate- 



' The early coaches were equipped with a huge basket slung over the hind axle 

 wherein passengers were carried at lower fares. 



s 137 



