The  passengers  were  so  delighted  that  they  all  clubbed  to-
gether and  made  him  a  very  handsome  present,  as  they  quite
expected  to  be  killed,  and  no  wonder ;  for  I  must  admit  that
it  requires  some  nerve,  nor  is  it  all  pleasure,  to  sit  still  on  a
four-horse  coach  with  a  Christmas  load  when  galloping  down-
hill, with  a  bridge  at  the  bottom,  and  only  three  reins  to  the
four  horses ;  but  all's  well  that  ends  well,  as  this  gallop
did.
Sydney  Robinson,  who  drove  from  London  to  Basingstoke,
had  his  leg  broken  in  a  most  unfortunate  manner,  he  being  a
steady  man  and  a  good  coachman ;  he  left  Bagshot  with  only
one  passenger  who  was  on  the  box-seat.     After  passing  the


I90  DRIVING.
Jolly  Farmer,  a  small  public-house  on  the  road,  a  brewer's
dray,  with  empty  barrels,  went  by  the  coach  at  a  trot,  and  the
barrels  made  such  a  noise  that  the  coach-horses  started  off.
The  box  passenger  was  so  alarmed  that  he  quite  lost  his
head,  and  frantically  clutching  the  two  near-side  reins,  pulled
the  horses  out  of  the  road,  and  overturned  the  coach.  This
silly  fellow  escaped  unhurt,  but  Robinson's  leg  was  badly
fractflred ;  he  was  laid  up  for  many  weeks,  and  felt  the  accident
for  the  remainder  of  his  life.
