154 ACCIDENT 



a time this fear wore off, though the circumstance is 

 fresh in all their memories. 



Our two coaches — that is, the up and clown coach — 

 used to meet at Trumpington, two miles from Cambridge 

 on the London side ; consequently, as we carried time- 

 pieces, we were both of us enabled to judge the time to a 

 minute. 



Upon one occasion, my partner, having a little business 

 at Cambridge, sent the porter on with the coach, and he, 

 wishing to make the most of his short drive, never 

 having hold of four horses before, did not stop at the 

 usual place, but came on sixty or seventy yards farther 

 in the village, and pulled up close to the gutter on the 

 near side. 



After descending and exchanging way-bills, and I had 

 seen him off, I got upon the return coach, which was 

 quite full, and heavily loaded on the top with luggage. 

 I spoke to the horses before I seated myself, or had time 

 to take the reins from the hands of the passenger on the 

 box ; the consequence was, the leaders swerved to the 

 near side, the near fore-wheel went into a grating in the 

 channel of the gutter, and the coach, losing her equili- 

 brium, went over, though not before a momentary 

 struggle between the fore and hind part of the coach had 

 broken the perch. 



The horses had not moved half-a-dozen paces, and now 

 stood quite still, and the luggage and luggage-iron 

 rested against the Avail of two adjoining cottages. My 

 box-companion fell on his legs, but the ladies on the roof 

 were shot into one of the cottages, and the inmates being 

 at a wash-tub, that had been placed near the door, one 



