Marco Pauls Voyages and Travels | Page 7

being
dragged, and finding that the horses were springing forward in a fright,
he let himself drop through to the ground also. The coach passed over
them in a moment, as the horses cantered on.
All this passed in an instant, and Marco, before he had a moment's time
for reflection, found himself alone on his seat,--the driver run over and
perhaps killed, and the horses cantering away, with the reins dangling
about their heels. The first impulse, in such a case, would be to scream
aloud, in terror,--which would have only made the horses run the faster.
But Marco was not very easily frightened; at least, he was not easily
made crazy by fright. So he did not scream; and not knowing what else
to do, he sat still and did nothing.
[Illustration: THE ACCIDENT.]
In the mean time, the passengers inside knew nothing of all this. Many
of them had been asleep when they came over the bridge. The jolt had
aroused them a little, but there was nothing to indicate to them the
accident which had occurred forward, so they quietly adjusted
themselves in their seats, and endeavored to compose themselves to
sleep again.
The horses were well trained and gentle. They cantered on as far as the
level ground extended, and then they slackened their pace as they
began to rise the ascent. The idea then occurred to Marco, that perhaps
he might clamber down over the fender to the pole, and then walk
along upon that a little way till he could gather up the reins. Then he
thought that if he could get back again with them to the driver's seat,
perhaps he could stop the horses. Marco was an expert climber. He had
learned this art in his gymnasium at New York; so that he had no fears
in respect to his being able to get down and back again. The only
danger was, lest he might frighten the horses again and set them to
running anew.
After a moment's reflection, he concluded that at any rate he would try
it; so he cautiously stepped over the fender and clambered down. When

his feet reached the pole, he rested them a moment upon it, and clung
with his hands to the fender and other parts of the front of the coach.
He found his position here more unstable than he had expected; for the
coach being upon springs, the forward part rose and fell with many
jerks and surges, as the horses traveled swiftly along, while the pole
was held in its position straight and firm. Thus the different parts of his
body were connected with different systems of motion, which made his
position very uncomfortable.
He found, however, after a moment's pause, that he could stand, and
probably walk upon the pole; so he advanced cautiously, putting his
hands on the backs of the horses, and walking along on the pole
between them. The horses were somewhat disturbed by the strange
sensations which they experienced, and began to canter again; but
Marco, who felt more and more confidence every moment, pushed
boldly on, gathered up the reins, and got all the ends together. Then
taking the ends of the reins in one hand, he crept back, supporting
himself by taking hold of the harness of one of the horses with the other
hand. By this means he regained the coach, and then, though with some
difficulty, he clambered up to his seat again.
He then endeavored to stop the horses by gathering the reins together,
and pulling upon them with all his strength; but it was in vain. The
horses had by this time reached a part of the road where it was more
level, and they began to press forward at a more rapid pace. Marco
thought of calling to Forester to get out of the window and climb along
the side of the coach to the box, in order to help him; but just at that
moment he saw that they were coming up opposite to the farm house,
which had been in sight, at a distance, when they were crossing the
bridge. So he thought that though he could not stop the horses, he
might perhaps have strength enough to turn them off from the road into
the farmer's yard; and that then they could be more easily stopped. In
this he succeeded. By pulling the off rein of the leaders with all his
strength, he was able to turn them out of the road. The pole horses
followed as a matter of course,--the coach came up with a graceful
sweep to the farmer's door, and then the horses were easily stopped.
The farmer came at once to the door, to see what strange company had

come to visit him in