loo HIGHWAYS AND HORSES. 



punctual than railways are at the present time. This 

 was owing in a great measure to their being matters 

 of private enterprise. Although the newspapers now- 

 adays are frequently full of complaints of the un- 

 punctuality of trains, such was never the case with 

 the coaches, notwithstanding the far greater difficulties 

 they had to contend with. If they ever chanced to 

 be late, it was no easy matter to increase the pre- 

 scribed pace, as it must be remembered that the law 

 forbad their galloping the entire team, or indeed driving 

 at any speed that was dangerous to life and limb. The 

 motto of mail and stage coachmen was, " Keep the 

 wheels moving," and this they endeavoured their best 

 to do, from the time when they sang out " All right, 

 let them go ! " and the horse-cloths were whisked 

 off the horses' quarters, until they pulled up for the 

 fresh change that was waiting for them by the road- 

 side. 



The number of mail guards in England, Wales, 

 and Scotland was 268, over whom were eight or ten 

 inspectors. The guards received half-a-guinea a week 

 and their uniform, supplementing their salary by tips 

 received from the passengers. The mail guard sat in 

 solitary isolation throughout the night, the luggage 

 and mail-bags on the roof making conversation with 

 the passengers wdio sat in front an impossibility. To 

 a certain extent a mail guard was to be envied, as 

 he did not have wet umbrellas poked in his face or 

 trickling down his neck. If he took forty winks on 

 his perilous seat, which was remarkably unprotected, 

 the voice of the coachman would be heard calling out, 

 *' Blow up for the change ! Blow for the gate ! " or 

 "Be ready with the skid!" upon which the sleepy 

 guard would have to crawl down from his perch and 



