2 28 THE COACHING AGE. 



of diverging from the Eoyston Eoad, rather more 

 than four miles from Cambridge, I could not possibly 

 make a mistake, and in taking the right road the 

 horses themselves would, I knew, be sufficient guides. 

 Arrived at the inn which my predecessor had used, I 

 pulled up ; and he informed me that he should resume 

 his seat in a day or two, but gave no reason for his 

 strange conduct, or for his leaving without saying 

 anything to his employer. This, of course, did not 

 tend to put me on very good terms with myself. 



'After changing for the last time at Waltham 

 Cross it became dark, and I forgot, if I had ever 

 known, the double gate at Kingsland ; and the glare of 

 the lamps not permitting me to see that the farther 

 one was closed, my leaders ran against, it, and the 

 force of the concussion knocked them on their 

 haunches, and very much discomposed my nerves. 

 The confusion was great, one of the bars being broken, 

 and the leaders partly under the wheel-horses.' I 

 got down, and, having plenty of assistance, soon 

 liberated the team, replaced the broken bar with a 

 spare one we always carried, and being pretty well up 

 in knotting and splicing, made the reins right. No 

 further mischief having been done, I proceeded on ibhe 

 journey, but had the greatest difficulty in piloting the 

 team — ^one of which, a wheel-horse, / recognised as 

 the animal I had cured of his evil propensities at 



