A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN. 199 



for me, though I had previously made excursions of 

 a day on horseback in that vicinity ; but this was to 

 be at least five days, and through a part of the 

 country but little inhabited and scarcely civilized. 

 Still, I only dreaded the toil of travel. As for fear, 

 the thought of danger never occurred to me : my 

 drivers had been well recommended, and at that 

 time murders were seldom heard of, the reign of 

 border-ruffianism not having begun. 



" On the second day, my suspicions that some- 

 thing was in the wind were aroused by overhearing 

 a fragment of conversation between the drivers, 

 which was suddenly cut short the moment they ob- 

 served that I was a listener. I had heard enough 

 to put me on my guard, but not enough to con- 

 vince me that evil was intended : so, taking care to 

 manifest no particular concern, I simply held myself 

 in readiness to prevent any manifestations of devil- 

 try they might make. 



" On that day we were expecting to reach the 

 little village of Chester, where we intended passing 

 the night. I was riding a short distance in the 

 rear of the wagons, when Big Jake, as he was called, 

 came back to tell me that one of the axles had 

 broken, and we should have to haul up for the 

 night ; at the same time informing me that he had 

 a friend living in a log cabin about half a mile 

 ahead. 



