MR. O B. AND BUCEPHALUS. 303 



we could, with care, lead tlie horses past the present 

 opposing bluff. This reHeved us from the fear that 

 we might be compelled to abandon our horses 

 here, and have to make our way on foot. We 

 had to mount the hill-side by a zig-zag, over 

 loose moss-grown rocks, leading the horses past 

 one by one. The accidents which occurred, though 

 perhaps not so numerous as on some occasions, were 

 more extraordinary, and will serve to illustrate 

 what occurred daily. All the horses had safely 

 passed the dangerous precipice except one which 

 Cheadle was leading, and Bucephalus, in charge 

 of Mr. O'B., who brought up the rear. The length 

 of the zig-zag was about a quarter of a mile, and 

 when the former had got nearly over, he turned to 

 look for those behind him. They were not to be seen. 

 Cheadle, therefore, left his horse, and going back 

 to see what had happened, met Mr. O'B. climbing 

 hastily up the mountain- side, but minus Bucephalus. 

 " Where's the horse ?" said Cheadle. " Oh," said Mr. 

 O'B., " he's gone, killed, tumbled over a precipice. 

 Facilis descensus, you see. He slipped and fell over 



— ^7T€LTa iribovbe KvXCvbeTo "111002 avatb-^s VOU know. 



Doctor, and I have not seen him since. It's not 

 the slightest use going back, 1 assure you, to look 

 for him, for he's comminuted, smashed to atoms, 

 dashed to a thousand pieces ! It's a dreadful thing, 

 isn't it?" Cheadle, however, sternly insisted that 

 Mr. O'B. should accompany him back to the 

 scene of the accident, and the latter reluctantly 

 followed. 



