280 ACCIDENT. 



him, as will presently be seen. We pro- 

 ceeded over Kingston Bridge, where I 

 had never been before. 



" Turn to the left," said my friend 

 on the box. 



I did so, and had not gone 100 yards, 

 when some men at a public-house (where 

 the coach, unknown to me, was to stop) 

 put up their hands, and the leaders flew 

 under the gateway. The coachmaker in- 

 stantly jumped off, or he must have been 

 killed. I, with much presence of mind, 

 pulled the wheel-horses against the gate- 

 post, at the same moment threw myself 

 forward, and received a crushing blow in 

 my shoulders and back, thereby saving 

 my head, which otherwise must have been 

 literally smashed; as it was, I was dread- 

 fully injured, to all appearance irrecover- 

 ably so. The old gentleman escaped un- 

 hurt, though beside himself with fright. 

 He was soon assisted down, and then I 



