08 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



of the Ipswich Express, for January, 1846 : " An 

 occurrence, approaching the wonderful in its nature, 

 took place on the Colchester end of the Eastern- 

 Counties Railway, early on the morning of Sunday 

 the 4th instant. A mare, the property of Mr. Gar- 

 rad, whose farm adjoins the railway and its Colchester 

 terminus, had obtained access to the line in the 

 course of the night, and ran off in front of the 

 engine when the mail train started from Colchester at 

 a quarter before three o'clock. It being quite dark, 

 the animal was not at first observed by the engine- 

 driver; but after the train had proceeded a short 

 distance, and a smart speed was attained, the mare 

 was seen a head of the engine, between the up-line 

 of rails, going along at a rate which seemed likely to 

 test the power of the locomotive. The driver sounded 

 the whistle, in the hope of frightening the maer from 

 the line ; but this only served to quicken her speed 

 without diverting her course ; on she went like the 

 wind, with the engine and train puffing, clattering, 

 and groaning in her rear : so desperate was her pace, 

 that though the speed of the train had reached 

 twenty-five miles an hour, the driver and stoker fre- 

 quently lost sight of her in the gloom, and at first 

 supposed the train had passed her, but ever and anon 

 she was again caught sight of, still rushing along in 



