of this
dashing young damsel, who, being accustomed to the road, would
doubtless exert herself to save me.

"_Nu! Reise! Reise!_--travel!" cried this extraordinary girl; and
away we went, over rocks, into ruts, against roots and bushes;
bouncing, springing, splashing, and dashing through mud-holes; down
hill and still down; whirling past terrific pits, jagged pinnacles of
rock, and yawning gulfs of darkness; through gloomy patches of pine,
out again into open spaces, and along the brinks of fearful
precipices; over rickety wooden bridges, and through foaming torrents
that dashed out over the road, the wild girl clinging fast behind, the
little pony flying along madly in front, the cariole creaking and
rattling as if going to pieces, myself hanging on to the reins in a
perfect agony of doubt whether each moment would not be our last. I
declare, on the faith of a traveler, it beat all the dangers I had
hitherto encountered summed up together. Trees whirled by, waterfalls
flashed upon my astonished eyes, streaks of sunshine fretted the gloom
with a net-work of light that dazzled and confounded me. I could see
nothing clearly. There was a horrible jumble in my mind of black rocks
and blue eyes, pine forests and flaming red stockings, flying clouds
and flying petticoats, the roar of torrents and the ringing voice of
the maiden as she cried "_Flue! Gaae! Reise!_--Fly! Go it! Travel!"
Only one thought was uppermost--the fear of being dashed to pieces.
Great heavens, what a fate! If I could only stop this infernal little
pony, we might yet be saved! But I dared not attempt it. The slightest
pull at the reins would throw him upon his haunches, and cariole and
all would go spinning over him into some horrible abyss. All this time
the wild damsel behind was getting more and more excited. Now she
whistled, now she shouted "_Skynde pa!_--Faster! faster!" till, fairly
carried away by enthusiasm, she begged me to give her the whip, which
I did, with a faint attempt at prayer. Again she whistled, and shouted
"_Skynde pa!_--Faster! faster!" and then she cracked the most
startling and incomprehensible Norwegian melodies with the whip,
absolutely stunning my ears, while she shouted "_Gaae! Flue!
Reise!_--Go it! Fly! Travel!" Faster and still faster we flew down the
frightful hill. The pony caught the infection of enthusiasm, and now
broke into a frantic run. "Faster! faster!" shrieked the wild girl in
a paroxysm of delight.

By this t