The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-07-04

IN almost total darkness.
Still, there seemed no danger
cause ior anxiety. The
horses knew their work, had evil
IDENTIFY been left to their own rcsour-
ccs before, had gallopod along with
as much spirit as ut the start, never
for moment deviating from the
Tcll-baatcn track-the centre of the
road.
Not being fully awake to the ne
cessity for extra caution, ! neglect
ed to arouse the driver, thinking
that, for the time being at any rate,
ordinary watchfulness on my own
part would answer every purpose,
but nature soon asserted herself so
strongly that | dozed off again.
A second time ! awoke, to find
the road more darkened than before.
Heavy clouds overhung the sky,
vivid flashes of lightning now and
then lit up for a brief moment the
whole district for miles around, and
rumnling of thunder in the near dis
tance, shaking the ground with as
much force, as the convulsions of an
earthquake, brought news of a heavy
tropical storm rapidly approaching
These uuwelcome signs of tempestuous
weather. for which we were almost
wholly unprepared caused me to throw
off the feeling of drowsiness without
further hesitation. Peering anxiously
into the gloom, tried to trace the course
on which we were to travel but could
only do so when the lightning flashes,
not yet frequent, lent their aid. Then
came curve, for we had left the straight
and level track behind, and were enter
ing pass between the lower hills.
Not moment too soon had aroused
myself
Just beyond the curve, and only some
twenty yards away, appeared the dim
outline of bridge abutment ON either
side. A friendly flash just then disclos-
ed the fact that our crossing was but
narrow one-so narrow that two vehicles
could not pass each other without dam
ger of collision.
If the horses would only so straight
ahead all would be well with us; but if
they swcrvcd a yard to the right or left,
nothing could save us from being thrown
down precipitous cmbankmcnt some
fifty feet deep into the surging torrent
below, without the slightest hope Of help
or rescue.
The situation was startling.
Our driver asleep, the Eurasian utterly
mconcious that her life was hanging by
Il thread, and / compelled, by force of
acquaintance, to wrcstlc with a dreadful
responsibility.
II was an occasion on which one has
TO think and act quickly. of the twenty
yards ten had been already passed, and
scarcely ten remained. Rousing the
driver was out of the question. 1t takes
at least five minutes to bring the most
lively Oriental TO himself after sleep.
Five minutes ut this period, would set
tie everything one way or the other.
Would the horses go straight ahead?
If they did not it would be owing to
no fault of mine, but the odds were not
by amy means in my favor. TO take
the rcins from the mild IIindoo was but
the work Of Il moment. To guide the
horses through narrow passage would
not be Il difficult matter under ordinary
circumstances, but the fltes were against
us, hence this story.
Hardly had commenced the self i'm
posed task, when, at this moment of all
times hideous hyena, with eyes gilt
tering and with fiendish laugh,
emerged from a plantation on our left
and darted across the road Immediately
in front of the horses. They swcrved,
dashed toward the embankmcnt at the
corner of the bridge, and
x
am sorry to disappoint you, gentle
reader, but we were not hurled into the
surging torrent-wc were not dashed to
peices-we were not drowned.
a little presence of mind, Il momcn-
tary exercise of physical power, Il trifiing
,noDinuloti,, ,F tI,n mime ~, ,,,t,,,,,,;,,,.
Of eXplctivcs not recognized by lexico-
graphcrs as legitimate, and our fiery
steeds We're brought up on their
launches at the edge of the prccipicc,
but only just in time. We were saved!
Did we stop to offer up thanks to an
cver-watchful Providence for having
rescued Us, through my poor agency,
from watery grave? ! regret to say that
we We're 50 selfish as to forget all about
our duty in this respect.
Did we weep with joy? Did we en-
brace each other?
Not much.
We merely shook ourselves together
in short order, and went ON our way as
if nothing had happened. 1t is super
fluous to remark that | exhausted my
entire Widu and IIindi vocabulary on
the coachman, throwing in word of
Arabic here and there, with Il sprinklinp
of Persian to maintain the interest. and
Il sentence or two of Bengalcc lust to let
him understand that was highly indig-
nunt and meant to cut him OH without
the usual currency when We reached
kalka. In the face of all this, and the
fact that had saved his lifr-and my
own-this duslly heather had the pre-,
sumption to ask me fer q reward hcior,
/ quilted the dark bungalow. He didn't
get tin currcucy. | rendered him 4
/ pair of boots, and the ungratriul fellow
instead Of protlrring his thanks as +
/ thrlstlan would have done began to rul
. hiptGplt a If sRp,,l,,.1,. 1,.,.1 -. l.