Sentence:  Mr Western entered; but not before a small wrangling bout had passed between him and his <WSD>chairmen</WSD>; for the fellows, who had taken up their burden at the Hercules Pillars, had conceived no hopes of having any future good customer in the squire ... 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Someone whose job is to carry people in a portable chair, sedan chair, or similar conveyance.