42 ANGLING 



front into the middle of the road, Master Hopper was shot 

 into untold space, Mr. Eyesax performed a similar somersault 

 on the off side of the trap. Four occupants of the other 

 colliding vehicle were also shot out the way they were going. 

 Our near shaft and traces were broken ; our horse went for 

 yards, eventually landing in the deep ditch on the right about 

 twelve yards ahead. The other horse was also shot clean out 

 of his traces. But where were Mr. Hopper and Uncle Peter ? 

 Aye ; where were they ? For two seconds after the collision 

 there appeared to be perfect silence, and then the most 

 unearthly crackling, smashing-up noise that ever assailed Mr. 

 Hopper's ears ensued, and Mr. Hopper found himself flying 

 into space too dark to see, but not to feel. Tableau: Mr. 

 Hopper lying his 6ft. length at the bottom of a narrow 

 ditch, quite five or six feet deep and 13 or 14 feet from the 

 road side, both traps overhanging him Mr. Eyesax's 

 trap having pulled the other one (wheels inter- 

 locked) backwards over the green sward (this accounted for 

 the aforesaid two seconds of silence) intervening between the 

 road and ditch. A few feet (about three) ahead of him, also at 

 the bottom of the ditch, lay Uncle Peter also full length and 

 firmly wedged in (his corporation being considerably more 

 rotund and balloon-like than Mr. Hopper's). Master Hopper, 

 five yards further, also at the bottom of said ditch ; and ahead 

 of him the horse, also in the ditch. And Mr. Eyesax, where 

 was he ? Why, rushing about on the bank and calling out for 

 his hat. " Where is my hat ? " he cried, as if nothing more had 

 occurred than a gust of wind to lay bare his dishevelled locks. 

 But how fared it with Twynkles ? He had narrowly escaped 

 decapitation, for as the trap swerved off the road from the force 

 of the collision he just managed to jerk his noble headpiece 

 aside and so avoid his windpipe being stove in. But to return 

 to Mr. Hopper. He found on the top of him, when lying at 

 the bottom of the ditch, two wooden seats from the dog-cart, 

 the cushions thereof, nine fishing rods, four fishing baskets, 

 four landing nets, one large bag of worms, two small ditto, 

 sundry grub tins, 267 dead roach, perch, and eels, several dead 



