240 HOKSE POKTKAITURE. 



so entangled, that in his excitement he could not undo 

 them. On the horse sped, and of course it would have 

 been madness to have jumped out of the sleigh, only to 

 be hauled along by the firmly twisted reins. 



The frantic animal, under no control, rushed madly 

 along ; the point, on which the lighthouse stands, was 

 passed, and he made his way directly for the blue water 

 that was surging in the wintry wind. It was yet some 

 distance off, but the fearful rate, at which the scared horse 

 ran would soon carry him over the intervening space. 

 Soon the dashing of the waves, as they curled, foamed, and 

 hissed over the frail barrier, was heard, mingling their 

 sound with the plunge of the horse's feet, and the crisping 

 drag of the runners slightly cutting the hard surface. Only 

 a few more bounds and they would be engulfed in the cold 

 water. The driver had called and shrieked at the horse 

 till he was hoarse, and now sat with the calmness of de- 

 spair, with no hope that anything could avert the fearful 

 end. He speculated on the time he would have to endure 

 the embrace of the watery shroud, before he became un- 

 conscious, and wondered how long it would take him to 

 sink to the bottom and be at rest. He shut his eyes, feel- 

 ing there would be some relief in not seeing the fatal 

 plunge. There was a shock he felt the sleigh upsetting, 

 and his recollections were at an end. The horse had at 

 last become aware that he was going to run into the water, 

 and turning just on the brink of the ice, had necirly cap- 

 sized the cutter. He ran down the lake shore, where he 

 was stopped, the man still being in a swoon. No one 

 could ever persuade him to drive on the ice again. 



PEECEPTOK. He ought to have had more sense -than to 

 jepoardize his life by fastening the reins to his body. I 

 have seen men run their wrists through the hand-pieces, 

 taking a twist in them, to drive a hard puller ; it always 

 makes me nervous to witness it. There is danger enough 



