d, and before we could expostulate
with or arrest him in his course, plunged down a long slope and dashed
into the river, with a hissing and splashing that completely blinded us
for a few seconds, and drenched us to the skin. We held on with the
desperation of fear; but before we could well know whether we swam or
rode we had passed the stream, and our unconquered little horse was
tugging us might and main up the opposite bank. That once obtained, we
saw before us a wide expanse of heath, rugged and broken, and no trace of
any road.

But horse and driver seemed to be alike careless about beaten tracks.
The Bohemian grew wilder at every step, urging on his horse with mad
gestures and unearthly cries. His driving was miraculous; along narrow
strips of road, scarcely wide enough to contain the wheels, he passed in
safety; sometimes skimming the outer ridge of a steep bank, and when,
seemingly about to plunge into an abyss, suddenly wheeling both horse and
cart round at an acute angle, and darting on with a reckless speed to new
dangers and new escapes. We had been told that he was an admirable hand
at the rein when sober; but, when drunk, he certainly surpassed himself.
As for ourselves, we were in constant fear of our lives; and, being
utterly unacquainted with the country and the language, and unable to
control the extravagances of our driver, we calmly awaited, and almost
invoked, the "spill" that seemed inevitable.

But the paroxysm of the Bohemian had reached its height; from an
incarnate devil, in demeanour and language, he rapidly dropped into
childish helplessness, and finally into a deep uncontrollable slumber.
This was a state of things which, at first, threatened more danger than
his open madness; but then it was the horse's turn to show _his_ quality.
He saw that a responsibility devolved upon him, and he was quite equal to
the occasion. He seemed to know his way as well without as with his
master. We guessed this; and, taking the reins from the hands of the
quite helpless Bohemian, we left the gallant animal to take whatever
course he thought most prudent. The good beast brought us well out of
the tangled heath, and once more to a level, open road.

Soon, a neat village was before us, and we came to the resolution that we
would dismount there at all hazards. But then our sleepy driver suddenly
started into life, and, with a terrible outburst of wrath, gave us, by
motions, to understand that we had go