VII 
ONE MORE BREAK-DOWN 
93 
hoofs and scattered harness. The buggy on its side was 
minus a wheel, the leader had picked himself free and 
gone off, the wheelers were doing their best to follow 
his example. We had to gather our scattered senses 
as best we could, and each one of us lend our help. 
They steadied the horses down, and got them free of the 
broken harness, and then we held a council of war. 
I was on this occasion the imperative mood of the 
party, and no one arguing the point that further progress 
for us was impracticable that day, at least in the buggy, 
we made the best of a bad bargain and repaired to an 
old deserted miner’s “ numpy,” which was a few paces 
off, with our bruised and shaken bodies and the tattered 
luggage that remained. The owner of the dray lent 
us a most willing hand, and it was settled that I was to 
ride one of Jackey’s horses, using his saddle, and Mrs. 
S. to go in the dray ; the men set to work and mended 
the wheel and patched things up sufficiently well for Joe 
to drive slowly on ; and now, before starting, our waggon 
host produced that solace to all mankind, a packet of 
tea, tin billy, loaf of bread, and, O luxury ! a tin of 
sardines. 
At three o’clock all was ready again for a start. They 
lifted me on to the mare, but my ungallant steed seemed 
to object to this arrangement ; back curled her ears, 
down went her head and shoulders, out flew her heels, 
and simultaneously over her head went I ! I wasn’t 
to be beaten and tried a second time, when she 
steadied down to a canter alternately with a brisk trot, 
but this means of locomotion — sitting sideways with no 
support, — 'after some miles meant downright dislocation 
and was as trying to her as to me. After a short 
stoppage she refused to budge another inch, so, fastening 
her behind the dray, I got inside, and was not sorry to 
be able to lie full length on the straw, for I felt bruised 
