CHAPTEE XV. 



COACHMEN. 



In coaching-days there used to be four brothers 

 driving on the western roads — the eldest on the 

 Oxford, and the other three on the Bath. 



Their name was Stacey, and according to seniority 

 I believe they ranged thus — William, Eichard, John, 

 and Henry; as they were known on the road by the 

 customary abbreviations of Bill, Dick, Jack, and 

 Harry, and as I never heard them called anything 

 else, I will adhere to those names in speaking of them. 



Their positions when I first became acquainted 

 with them were — Bill on a day- coach from London to 

 Oxford ; Dick on the Bristol mail from London to 

 Newbury, down one night and up the next ; Jack on 

 one side of the Bath mail, between the same places, 

 down one night and up the next ; and Harry on the 

 other side, in the same way. 



I seldom travelled with Bill, and never with Dick ; 

 but often with the other two, both between London and 

 Newbury and on the lower ground, where Harry was 



