LESSON TO KICKERS BIPED AND QUADRUPED. 151 



kick just over their traces when called on to 

 work, by way of experiment, to see how the thing 

 will do. It may be very right and very proper 

 to stop your coach and extricate them for a time 

 or tvro ; but they are cunning enough, and ex- 

 pecting this, will often try the same trick on 

 again, and would then be constantly at it. The 

 next time my gentleman makes a rocking-horse 

 of his trace, lay the double thong well on to his 

 ears. Let him take his entire side of the coach 

 alorg for a mile, with the trace chafing his thigh ; 

 the chances are, if he gets the opportunity, he 

 wil] kick himself back into his proper place, and 

 not get on his hobby again. I must apprise those 

 reacers who do not know it, that double-thono^Ins: 

 a hearse over the ears is one of the severest appli- 

 cati)ns that can be made with a whip, and one 

 thai never should be resorted to but on extreme 

 occasions, and where we are quite certain it is 

 filly merited. So in any commands we give, 

 01 in any reprimands we may use towards any 

 ptrson, justice, good feeling, and, indeed, common 

 seise, demand that we are quite sure the command 

 is proper, and the neglecting or disobeying it does 

 n(t proceed from its impropriety, or the impossi- 

 biity of its being carried into effect. Nothino* 

 phases a subordinate more than to receive a 

 conmand that he has the opportunity of showing 

 to be absurd or unreasonable. It authorises 



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