hey subscribed for
there and then, and give Bob and me a extra half-sovereign each; but I
wouldn't go down that line again not for twenty half-sovereigns." And
the guard shook his head slowly, and got up and blew a clear brisk
toot-toot.

"What fun!" said Tom, who could scarcely contain his pride at this
exploit of his future school-fellows. He longed already for the end of
the half, that he might join them.

"'Taint such good fun though, sir, for the folk as meets the coach, nor
for we who has to go back with it next day. Them Irishers last summer
had all got stones ready for us, and was all but letting drive, and we'd
got two reverend gents aboard too. We pulled up at the beginning of the
line, and pacified them, and were never going to carry no more
pea-shooters, unless they promises not to fire where there's a line of
Irish chaps a stone-breaking." The guard stopped and pulled away at his
cheroot, regarding Tom benignantly the while.

"Oh, don't stop! tell us something more about the pea-shooting."

"Well, there'd like to have been a pretty piece of work over it at
Bicester, a while back. We was six mile from the town, when we meets an
old square-headed grey-haired yeoman chap, a jogging along quite quiet.
He looks up at the coach, and just then a pea hits him on the nose, and
some ketches his cob behind and makes him dance up on his hind legs. I
see'd the old boy's face flush and look plaguy awkward, and I thought we
was in for somethin' nasty.

"He turns his cob's head, and rides quietly after us just out of shot.
How that ere cob did step! we never shook him off not a dozen yards in
the six mile. At first the young gents was werry lively on him; but
afore we got in, seeing how steady the old chap come on, they was quite
quiet, and laid their heads together what they should do. Some was for
fighting, some for axing his pardon. He rides into the town close after
us, comes up when we stops, and says the two as shot at him must come
before a magistrate; and a great crowd comes round, and we couldn't get
the 'osses to. But the young uns, they all stand by one another, and
says all or none must go, and as how they'd fight it out, and have to be
carried. Just as 'twas gettin' serious, and the old boy and the mob was
goin' to pull 'em off the coach, one little fellow jumps up and says,
'Here--I'll stay,--I'm only going three miles further. My father's
name's Davis; he's known about here, and I'll go before the magis