MORE DISCOMFORTS 65 



Despair made me eloquent, and the kindly 

 passengers crowded up together and gave me 

 a cramped seat on the end of a board. Of 

 that ride I could a tale unfold : of the sick 

 horse and the driver walking to spare him, 

 half the time out of sight, leaving the reins 

 in the hands of an indifferent girl, who al- 

 lowed the horses to wander from side to side 

 at will ; and of the fatigue of the unusual 

 walk and the uncomfortable seat. At the 

 summit we were promised a fresh team, for 

 in avoiding the corduroy outlet I had sub- 

 jected myself to the ascent as well as the 

 descent of the mountain. The new team was 

 fresh indeed. They nearly wrecked us on 

 the start before the exasperatingly leisurely 

 driver had taken his seat, and while the lines 

 hung loose over the box. Then they ran 

 madly down the first hill in spite of brake 

 and driver's shouts, galloped across the short 

 level and ran down the next pitch, the mud 

 splashing high, and tug-strap hanging. It 

 was a sadly demoralized looking and feeling 

 crowd that drew up at last before a hotel ; 

 and as I climbed painfully down the step- 

 ladder way, the only alternative from a 



