."

"Well, but at least you'll except Miss Walladmor's servants, I hope."

"I'll except nobody: if Miss Walladmor wants lads to drive her that are
not drunk, she must send for 'em to some other county: she'll not find
'em in this. But she knows that well enough. Lord love her! there's not
a driver in the county, not a horse almost nor any dumb creature
whatsomever, that would bring Miss Walladmor into any danger. What! the
lads may be a little 'fresh' or so; but they'll drive all the better
for that. There's that lad now: he's going to ride the leaders; and I'm
much in doubt whether he'll be able to mount. But if he once gets
fairly into the saddle, the devil won't throw him out; he'll sit like a
leech all the way from Carnarvonshire to Jerusalem."

Whether wrong or right in the latter part of this prediction, the
landlord was certainly right in the former. For at this moment the
postillion had succeeded in putting his foot into the stirrup, but in
throwing his leg over the horse's croupe, he grazed his flank sharply
with the spur--and, from the instantaneous rearing and plunging of the
horse, was pretty nearly flung under his feet. Drunk as the lad was,
however, he had a sort of instinct for maintaining or recovering any
hold once gained that soon enabled him to throw himself into the
saddle. But the danger was now past his power to control: a shower of
squibs and crackers, which had been purposely reserved by way of a
valedictory salute to Miss Walladmor, were at this moment discharged;
and one of them unfortunately fell under the feet of the near
leader. Previously irritated, and now alarmed beyond measure by the
fireworks--the huzzas--and the flashing lights, the horse became
ungovernable; the contagion of panic spread; all were plunging and
kicking at once: the splinter-bar was smashed to atoms; and, the crowd
of by-standers being confused by the darkness and the uncertain light,
before any one could lay hands upon them--the horses had lurched to one
side and placed the carriage at the very edge of the road fenced off
only by a slender wooden railing of two feet high from a precipice of
forty feet, which just at this place overhung the river. At this
instant a man, muffled up in a dark cloak, whom Bertram, whilst talking
with the landlord, had repeatedly observed walking about the carriage
and looking anxiously to the windows, sprang with the speed of
lightning to the leaders' heads--and held them forcibly until