Nothing worth mentioning occurred, till we arrived on the edge of
Marlborough Downs. There one of the four horses fell, in going
down hill at a round trot; and the postilion behind, endeavouring
to stop the carriage, pulled it on one side into a deep rut,
where it was fairly overturned. I had rode on about two hundred
yards before; but, hearing a loud scream, galloped back and
dismounted, to give what assistance was in my power. When I
looked into the coach, I could see nothing distinctly, but the
nether end of Jenkins, who was kicking her heels and squalling
with great vociferation. All of a sudden, my uncle thrust up his
bare pate, and bolted through the window, as nimble as a
grasshopper, having made use of poor Win's posteriors as a step
to rise in his ascent -- The man (who had likewise quitted his
horse) dragged this forlorn damsel, more dead than alive, through
the same opening. Then Mr Bramble, pulling the door off its
hinges with a jerk, laid hold on Liddy's arm, and brought her to
the light; very much frighted, but little hurt. It fell to my
share to deliver our aunt Tabitha, who had lost her cap in the
struggle, and being rather more than half frantic, with rage and
terror, was no bad representation of one of the sister Furies
that guard the gates of hell -- She expressed no sort of concern
for her brother, who ran about in the cold, without his periwig,
and worked with the most astonishing agility, in helping to
disentangle the horses from the carriage: but she cried, in a
tone of distraction, 'Chowder! Chowder! my dear Chowder! my poor
Chowder is certainly killed!'
This was not the case -- Chowder, after having tore my uncle's leg
in the confusion of the fall, had retreated under the scat, and
from thence the footman drew him by the neck; for which good
office, he bit his fingers to the bone.
Pages:
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156