MAD MYTTON. 323 



foolish enough to drive across country by moonlight ; 

 and yet it was universally acknowledged that Mytton 

 was no coachman, although he drove so much. On 

 one occasion, when he was dining out, and the con- 

 versation turned on the danger of driving tandem, with 

 which team he had driven out to dinner, Mytton at 

 once expressed his dissent from this doctrine, and 

 offered to bet a pony (^25) all round that he would 

 that night drive his tandem across country into the 

 turnpike road, a distance of half-a-mile, having, in his 

 progress, to get over a sunk fence, three yards wide, a 

 broad, deep drain, and two stiff quickset hedges, with 

 ditches on the opposite side. The bets offered were 

 taken by several men who were present, to the amount 

 of ^150 and upwards. After the necessary prepara- 

 tions, all turned out to see the performance ; although, 

 as Mytton was under age, he was strongly persuaded 

 not to make the attempt ; these admonitions naturally, 

 however, had a contrary effect, and, twelve men with 

 lanterns attached to long poles having been procured, 

 to supplement the light of the moon, at the appointed 

 signal away went Mytton and his tandem across 

 country. 



The first obstacle was the sunk fence, into which, 

 as may be expected, he was landed ; but the opposite 

 side being a gradual slope, the carriage and the lunatic 

 who sat in it, by applying the lash to the horses, were 

 drawn out without injury. He next sent his horses 

 at a wide drain, and such was the pace he went at it 

 that it was cleared by a yard or more, but the jerk 

 sent jMytton flying on to the wheeler's back ; but he 

 somehow managed to resume his seat, and took the 

 two remaining fences in gallant style, after which he 

 got safe back into the turnpike road, and, pocketing 

 the money he had gained, drove away home. 



