-baskets were packed
away behind. I had a mad turn, and was quite "fey," as the Scotch say.
I kept them laughing the whole time, and was quite surprised at my own
wit. It seemed as if someone else was talking through my lips, for I
said the things almost before I thought of them.

We rushed along through beautiful country lanes, through dear, sleepy
little villages, and along the banks of the river. The motor behaved
beautifully, and neither smelt nor shook; it was quite intoxicating to
fly through the air without any feeling of exertion, and Rachel herself
grew almost frisky in time.

At two o'clock we camped out, and had a delicious luncheon; then off we
started again, to take a further circuit of the country, and have tea at
a quaint old inn on the way home. All went well until about four
o'clock, when we began to descend a long, steep hill leading to a
riverside village. Father told the chauffeur to take it as slowly as
possible, but we had not covered a quarter of the way when--something
happened! Suddenly, without the slightest warning, the machine seemed
to leap forward like an arrow from a bow, and rush down the hill, more
and more quickly with every second that passed. We all called out in
alarm, and the chauffeur turned a bleached face to father, and said
shakily:

"It's gone, sir! The brake has gone. I can't hold her!"

"Gone? Broken? Are you sure--perfectly sure?"

"Quite sure, sir. What shall I do? Run through the village and chance
the river, or turn up the bank?"

We knew the village--one long, narrow street crowded with excursionists,
with vehicles of all descriptions, with little children playing about.
At the end the road gave a sharp turn close to the water's edge. On the
other hand the bank was high and steep, and in some places covered with
flints.

Father looked round, and his face whitened, but he said firmly:

"We will not risk other lives besides our own. If that is the choice,
run her up the bank, Johnson!"

"Right, sir!" said the chauffeur.

It all happened in a moment, but it seemed like hours and hours. The
machine shook and quivered, and turned unwillingly to the side. The
bank seemed to rush at us--to grow steeper and steeper; to tower above
our heads like a mountain. My heart seemed to stop beating; a far-away
voice said clearly in my brain, "_This is death_!" and a great wave of
despair rolled over me. I turned instinctively towards Will, and at the
same m