368 THE COACHING AGE. 



saw Lis two opponents, one a little in advance of 

 the other, fully a mile ahead, and apparently going 

 very fast ; so he immediately put his horses into a 

 gallop, and the road being rather narrow in places, 

 he began to consider where it would aflford him a 

 good opportunity to pass them. 



He overtook the ' Regulator ' first of all, as it was 

 going up the hill out of the village of Rake, and 

 passed it easily ; the other coach, called the ' Hero,' 

 he could see about half a mile before him, and 

 knowing he had the best team, he followed at full 

 speed. Being lightly loaded, the only passenger, a 

 soldier, at the back of the coach, was tossed up 

 and down like a shuttlecock from a battledore, so 

 that the old coachman continually looked back to 

 see if he kept his place. 



At the top of Sheet Hill he overtook the ' Hero,' 

 and they went down the hill side by side ; and when 

 near the bottom they met a post-chaise, the driver of 

 which stared with astonishment, and pulled into the 

 bank to let them pass. 



A turnpike being just ahead, the old coachman 

 pulled in a bit, or, as he said, he did not know what 

 the consequences might have been ; ' but knowing the 

 horses in the ' Hero ' must be nearly beaten, he looked 

 for a place on the opposite hill, where he thought he 

 could easily pass. On reaching the hill his leaders 



