54 THE COACHING AGE. 



go through, but in the meantime the pike-keeper 

 had got a horse and trap in which he managed to 

 reach the next gate before the coach, where a similar 

 parley took place. The keeper of, this' gate was 

 more obdurate than the Ilchester one, and refused to 

 capitulate ; but the guard had been told when he 

 was served with the notice what he was to do in the 

 event of resistance, and that he would be indemnified 

 against proceedings which might be taken against 

 him for withholding the tolls and getting the coach 

 through the gate. In his tool-box and about the 

 coach he carried a few articles for use in case of break- 

 downs or anything happening to the coach during a 

 journey, and among these most opportunely were a 

 small saw and jimmy, with which he intimated his 

 intention to storm the enemy's outworks, and effect a 

 passage through the gate. This led to a single combat 

 between the pike-keeper and guard, but the latter 

 being a big man and not wholly deficient in pugilistic 

 knowledge, became the victor, and the coach went 

 through the gate without the threatened cutting a 

 way through having to be resorted to. The circum- 

 stance of the coach being stopped at the two gates 

 arose from the tolls being leased to the same person, 

 and he it was in fact who Was in arrear with the 

 payments to the trustees, the gate-keeper in each 

 instance being merely his collector, whose duty it 



