A NIGHT JOURNEY. 15 



threatening. The darkness at length grew so impene- 

 trable that we could not see the horses, nor even the 

 wagon in which we rode. Up long hills, and down 

 into deep gulfs, with the invisible branches sweeping 

 our faces at almost every step, we traveled on, seeing 

 nothing but utter blackness, and not knowing but the 

 next moment we should stumble over a precipice, or 

 be tumbled down the slope of a " dugway." My driver, 

 in the meantime, got excessively nervous — he had 

 never traveled the road before, and this feeling his 

 way, or rather allowing his horses to feel it without 

 venturing the least control over their movements, 

 seemed to him not the safest mode of procedure, and 

 so after muttering awhile to himself various rather 

 forcible expressions, he stopped and got out. Going 

 to the heads of the horses he commenced leading them. 

 I supposed at first that something was the matter with 

 the harness, and said nothing ; but soon finding my- 

 self moving on in the darkness, I called out to know 

 what he was doing. "I'm afraid," he replied, "to 

 ride, it is so dark, and I'm going to lead my horses." 

 Just then, there came a bright flash of lightning, re- 

 vealing the still and boundless forest on every side,, 

 and throwing into momentary, but bold relief, shivered 



