AMERICAN ROADS. 35 



" Brown Hat (affirmatively). Yes, sir ! 



^^ Both (musingly as each gazes down the street). 

 Yes, sir. 



" Another pause ; they look at each other again, 

 still more seriously than before. 



'' Brown Hat, This coach is rather behind time 

 to-day, I guess, 



''Straw Hat (doubtingly). Yes, sir. 



'''Brown Hat (looking at his watch). Yes, sir. 

 Nigh upon two hours. 



"Straw Hat (raising his eyebrows in very great 

 surprise). Yes, sir ? 



" Broiun Hat (decisively as he puts up his watch). 

 Yes, sir. 



" Alltheother ijiside Passe Jigers (^.mong themselves). 

 Yes, sir. 



" Coachman (in a very surly tone). No, it ain't. 



" The conversational powers of the company had 

 by this time been pretty heavily taxed. Then we 

 all alight and have dinner, and resume our journey, 

 which continues through the same kind of country 

 until evening, when we come to the town where we 

 are to stop for tea and supper ; and having delivered 

 the mail-bags at the post office, ride through the 

 usual wide streets, lined with the usual stores and 

 houses (the drapers always having hung up at their 

 door a piece of red cloth by way of a sign), to the 

 hotel where this meal is prepared. There being 

 many boarders here, we sit down a large party, and 

 a very melancholy one as usual. But there Ls a 

 buxom hostess at the head of the table, and opposite 

 a simple Welsh schoolmaster with wife and child, 

 who came here on speculation of greater promise than 

 performance, to teach the classics ; and they are 



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