LOSING A LINOH-PIN. 305 



took me by surprise, being extremely genteel. The coach is at 

 the door, the corner of my trunk is gasping to swallow this book, 

 and I must put it in and be off. 



" August 24. Wind east, and hauling to the north-east — all 

 good for the Eipley. We are at Halifax, Nova Scotia, and this 

 is the way we got here : — Last night at eleven we seated our- 

 selves in the coach ; the moon shone bright, and the night was 

 beautiful; but we could only partially observe the country until 

 the day dawned. But we found out that the road was hiUy and 

 the horses lazy, and after riding twenty miles we stopped to 

 change horses and warm ourselves. Shortly the cry came, 

 ' Coach ready, gentlemen.' In we jumped, and on we rode for a 

 mile and a half, when the linch-pin broke, and we came to a 

 stand-still. Ingalls took charge of the horses, and responded to 

 the hoot of the owls, which sounded out from the woods, and 

 the rest of the party, excepting Coolidge and myself, slept 

 soundly, while we were enduring that disagreeable of all ex- 

 periences of travellers — detention — which is most disagreeable 

 in this latitude, and especially at night. Looking up the road, 

 the vacillating glimmer of the candle, intended to assist the 

 driver in finding the linch-pin, was all that could be distinguished, 

 and we began to feel what is called ' wolfish.' The man re- 

 turned, but found no pin — it could not be found, and another 

 quarter of an hour was spent in fumbUng round with ropes to 

 tie our vehicle together. At length the day dawned beautifully, 

 and I ran ahead of the coach for a mile or so to warm myself ; 

 and when the coach came up I got up with the driver to try to 

 obtain some information respecting the country, which was 

 becoming poorer and poorer the further we travelled. Hunger 

 again now began to press us, and we were told that it was twenty- 

 five miles from the lost Unch-pin to the breakfast-house. I 

 persuaded the driver to stop at a wayside tavern, and inquire 

 the prospects for getting some chickens or boiled eggs ; but the 

 proprietor said it was impossible for him to furnish a breakfast 

 for six persons of our appearance. 



" We passed on, and soon came to the track of a good-sized 

 bear in the road, and after a wearisome ride reached the break- 

 fast ground, at a house situated on the margin of a lake called 

 Grand Lake, which abounds with fine fish, and soles in the 



