Page:The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.djvu/90

48 4y POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF

horse ran backward. There was a great scraping of feet, and kicking up of the dust ; and at last Mr. Winkle, his arms being nearly pulled out of their sockets, fairly let go his hold. The horse paused, stared, shook his head, turned round, and quietly trotted home to Rochester, leaving Mr. Winkle and Mr, Pickwick gazing on each other with countenances of blank dismay. A rattling noise at a little distance attracted their attention. They looked up.

" Bless my soul ! " exclaimed the agonized Mr. Pickwick, " there's the other horse running away ! "

It was but too true. The animal was startled by the noise, and the reins were on his back. The result may be guessed. He tore off with the four-wheeled chaise behind him, and Mr. Tupman and Mr Snodgrass in the four-wheeled chaise. The heat was a short one. Mr. Tupman threw himself into the hedge, Mr. Snodgrass followed his example, the horse dashed the four-wheeled chaise against a wooden bridge, separated the wheels from the body, and the bin from the perch ; and finally stood stock still, to gaze upon the ruin he had made.

The first care of the two unspilt friends was to extricate their unfor- tunate companions from their bed of quickset — a process which gave them the unspeakable satisfaction of discovering that they had sustained no injury, beyond sundry rents in their garments, and various lacera- tions from the brambles. The next thing to be done was, to unharness the horse. This complicated process having been effected, the party walked slowly forward, leading the horse among them, and abandoning" the chaise to its fate.

An hour's walking brought the travellers to a little road-side public house, with two elm-trees, a horse trough, and a sign-post, in front; one or two deformed hay-ricks behind, a kitchen garden at the side, and rotten sheds and mouldering out-houses, jumbled in strange confu- sion, all about it. A red-headed man was working in the garden ; and to him Mr. Pickwick called lustily — " Hallo there I "

The red-headed man raised his body, shaded his eyes with his hand, and stared, long and coolly, at Mr. Pickwick and his companions.

" Hallo there I " repeated Mr, Pickwick.


 * ' Hallo ! '* was the red-headed man's reply.

<' How far is it to Dingley Dell ?"

" Better er seven mile."

" Is it a good road ? "

" No, t'ant." Having uttered this brief reply, and apparently satis- fied himself with another scrutiny, the red-headed man resumed his work.

u We want to put this horse up here," said Mr. Pickwick ; " I suppose we can, can't we?"

" Want to put that ere horse up, do ee ? " repeated the red-headed man, leaning on his spade.

" Of course," replied Mr. Pickwick, who had by this time advanced, horse in hand, to the garden rails.

" Missus " — roared the man with the red head, emerging from the g;arden, and looking very hard at the hor?e— " Missus."