198 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



over my head — we are swaying to the right — to the left — 

 up like a swing. Bang ! bang ! Gigantic hoofs again ! — 

 rolling like a ship ! I am conscious of still holding the 

 reins firmly, and pulling him towards a ditch on the left. 

 Bang ! crash ! — and, in another half-millionth quarter of a 

 second, there comes a tremendous rattling bang — we have 

 arrived at, so to speak, our last kick — everything gives way 

 in every direction, and in a sort of grand final display of 

 crackling fireworks, we are, in one sudden explosion, sent 

 flying up, all compact at first, like a sky-rocket, then 

 dividing, and dropped out here and there, and being con- 

 scious the whole time of gigantic horses' legs waving about, 

 coruscating horses' hoofs, wheels whizzing, wood snapping, 

 and glass breaking, until to all this there suddenly succeeds 

 a moment of the deepest tranquillity, broken only by the 

 convulsive snorting of the clever cob, who is lying on his 

 side in a ditch, with Murgle in a pious attitude kneeling on 

 his head, while all that is visible of the trap are four wheels 

 in the air — and I take this all in at a glance as I lie on my 

 back in the road, with a torn coat, a smashed hat, and the 

 broken reins still in my hand; while Cazell, also hatless, is 

 seated on a bank, with his knees drawn up as though 

 meditating bathing, and wondering whether the water were 

 warm enough or not ; his scared look conveying the notion 

 of a gentleman who had been called too early for the train 

 and wanted to go to sleep again. 



Happy Thought {for ourselves). — Alive. {Same for the 

 Horse) — Alive and still (slightly) kicking. 



