GUARDS AND THEIR FEES. 393 



before he left again, so that, having ample leisure 

 for transacting any business of his own, he might 

 earn a good deal of money, and perhaps have what 

 was known as ' the best wheel of the coach,' which 

 meant that it paid him better than the proprietors. 



Sometimes guards who travelled through the iron 

 country would buy a number of chain-traces, which 

 they could get at Stafford and places in the neigh- 

 bourhood for tenpence apiece, retailing them to 

 the coach-proprietors, when they were required, at 

 seven shillings and sixpence each ; but it occasionally 

 happened, where a chain -trace had been put on in 

 the course of a stage, that in the hurry of changing 

 with the mails it was not taken off, and when 

 inquired for by the guard on the next journey, some- 

 how or other the horsekeeper had forgotten to bring 

 it out — and on the next occasion could not find it, 

 supposed somebody must have taken it out of the 

 stable, or some such excuse ; in fact it reminds 

 one of the story of the man who, having lent a frying- 

 pan to his neighbour, and failing after repeated 

 applications to obtain its return, instituted legal 

 measures for the purpose of enforcing restoration. 

 The borrower, resolved to be prepared with an 

 answer to any case „ which the owner might set up, 

 pleaded, first of all, that if he had borrowed it he had 

 returned it; next, that he had bought it ; then, that 



