Hopes we shall have the pleasure of
carrying you back."
Tom said he hoped they would; but he thought within himself that his
fate would probably be the Pig and Whistle.
"It pays uncommon cert'nly," continues the guard. "Werry free with their
cash is the young genl'm'n. But, Lor' bless you, we gets into such rows
all 'long the road, what wi' their pea-shooters, and long whips, and
hollering, and upsetting every one as comes by, I'd a sight sooner
carry one or two on 'em, sir, as I may be a-carryin' of you now, than a
coach-load."
"What do they do with the pea-shooters?" inquires Tom.
"Do wi' 'em! Why, peppers every one's faces as we comes near, 'cept the
young gals, and breaks windows wi' them too, some on 'em shoots so hard.
Now 'twas just here last June, as we was a-driving up the first-day
boys, they was mendin' a quarter-mile of road, and there was a lot of
Irish chaps, reg'lar roughs, a-breaking stones. As we comes up, 'Now,
boys,' says young gent on the box (smart young fellow and desper't
reckless), 'here's fun! Let the Pats have it about the ears.' 'God's
sake sir!' says Bob (that's my mate the coachman); 'don't go for to
shoot at 'em. They'll knock us off the coach.' 'Damme, coachee,' says
young my lord, 'you ain't afraid.--Hoora, boys! let 'em have it.'
'Hoora!' sings out the others, and fill their mouths choke-full of peas
to last the whole line.
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