ACCIDENTS. 367 



man used, on returning him the reins when he got 

 up again, to separate them, and say, ' There are your 

 leaders, and there are your wheel-horses.' 



As I have referred to the accident which happened 

 in Bere Forest to the old coachman, I will give his 

 account of it, and some other recollections of his 

 coaching-days. 



It happened, he said, that when he was driving on 

 the Portsmouth road, there were two other day- 

 coaches on it ; but as they left Portsmouth at different 

 hours, there was no fear of their coming in contact. 

 With the down-coaches it was different, as from their 

 leaving London by different routes, and from other 

 circumstances, such as stopping or not stopping to 

 dine, they would sometimes in the middle of the 

 journey all get together, as they did one day when, 

 on returning, he overtook the other coaches at the 

 Anchor Inn at Liphook, where they changed horses 

 and dined. The coachmen asked him what time he 

 intended to get to Portsmouth that evening, to 

 which he replied, ' Much about the same as usual,' 

 and he then left. They also were ready to start ; 

 and while he was changing horses about half a mile 

 farther down the village, they passed at a good 

 swinging pace, looking round as much as to say, 

 ' Come along !' Having a team of four nearly 

 thoroughbred horses, he was soon after them, and 



