82 AN ESCAPE. 



borative of the fact. I once saw a gentleman driving 

 three ladies in a phaeton with a very fine horse, 

 who was performing sundry and various antics, 

 pretty enough in themselves, but by no means 

 desirable in a low phaeton. The gentleman, little as 

 he knew about the matter, knew enough to find out, 

 that something was wrong: he stopped, got out, 

 examined the horse and harness, was quite satisfied 

 all was right, so got in again ; but on starting again 

 he got his carriage on the dead lock, so, had the horse 

 gone two yards further in the same direction, as a 

 matter of course over they would all have toddled. 

 Out, very wisely, bolted my gentleman again, and, 

 still more wisely, stood at the horse's head till some 

 one came up. This some one happened to be myself, 

 whose assistance was earnestly requested. He could 

 in no way account for the conduct of the horse, that 

 had taken them very quietly to an old lady's house 

 where they had dined close by : he thought it quite 

 extraordinary ; I did not. It appears, he had on his 

 return put the horse into the phaeton himself, had 

 passed the traces through the back band tugs, which 

 he thought were intended only for that purpose, had 

 carefully buckled the belly band, leaving the shafts 

 outside the whole: these he had supported by the 

 breeching hip-straps only, and in this way intended 

 to get home safely over eight miles of a hilly road. I 

 put him to rights ; the horse, luckily a very fine- 

 tempered one, went off quietly, and I trust the party 

 got home safely. Now, after all, I will be bound 

 these ladies would again trust themselves to the 

 gentleman, and he would again undertake the driving 

 them. 



My next gentleman I met driving a phaeton also, 



