Year: 1860

fog to a considerable distance As he again
reached the earth, giddy, bewildered and stu
pid, he had an indistinct idea of hearing dull
rushing sound, as he afterwards said. in his
forcl6le way, like charge of cavalry; and
then his senses and consciousness abandoned
him altogether, and the great Thompson Law
senseiess and sprawling on the nowAcovered
turf, where he remained for a term of which
though not very long, he never knew the exact
duration.


The explanation of the mystery is very sim
pie lie had trOdden upon an old cart horse
that mad been turned out to pick little of the
long winter grass at the roadside during the
day, and to find a he'd under shelter of the
hedge at night. The poor creature, in its
fright at being jumped upon during its peace-
tul slumbers, had suddenly sprung to its feet,
and so projected Thompson into the air as de-
scribed N


When he recovered from the shock. he found
himself sound in limb and wind, but somewhat
bewildered and confused; and was much an
noyed to feel such sensations, for he had the
greatest antipathy to anything like confusion
lie spent some time in trying to decide which
way he should go; for though it seemed to
him that the fog was less dense. il WAS still
TOO thlck for him to discover any landmarks
tor his guidance. Everything was nerfactIv
still; 10 sound of any kind broke the intense
silence. AT last, shivering with cold. he
started oil rather from the necessity of exer-
else to clear his brain and circulate his blood
than from any very definite choice of direction
Alter walking some time he gradually recOv
cred his selt-poSsessOn, as warmth crept over
his numbed limbs; and his persistent efforts
were rewarded ny the appearance Of light
dlmly gllmmering through the fog, which he
hailed at once as that of his harbor of refu0e
the lamp OF his cab. Pushing on with a proud
sense OF eventual conquest over almost unheard
OF dlhculues he soon reached, not the cab
but the cottage Of the Kenton carrier. from the
window OF which twinkled the light he had
seen.


This was a terrible blow; but, as have said
thompson was pluck TO the back bone; there
was no Sinking in him. The fog was evident
~ 0eS!nnlng to clear, the hedges on each side
had become sufficiently visible to enable him
to steer his course safely along the middle of
the road, and he at once, still undaunted. pro-
ceeded to retrace his steps. A spanking walk
OF an hour and half brought him to his own
gates through which he could clearly distin-
gulsh the exit of two carriages-carriages that
he well knew-the headed pheton of the Jen
kinses and the char-a-banc Of the Tallmegs
Ihey were the last of the departing guests: il
was two O'Clock in the morning


He met Mrs. Thompson in the hall. who
neither screamed with joy, nor threw herself
upon his neck, nor did any of those things
which a weaker-minded woman wouId bs9e
done She merely said:


My dearest Thompson, how excessively late
you are And there is your man with his cab
and horse in the stable yard, who wants twenty
Tour shliiingS as his charge for twelve miles,
at two shillings per mile, and two half-crowns
extra; and he has had three glasses of brandy
and water, which he says you promised him
in addition


at that moment the Misses Jemima and
Janette Thompson came running out of the
now empty ballroom, and begged their dear
papa not to be vexed at his delay; they had
aengnuul evening, and beautiful supper, as
the ices, and pheasants, and game pies, and
trunies' and champagne came down all safely.
Inc co"tre-tenlPs had not been of the slightest
consequence.


And Thompson, though for moment rather
taken aback by this extremely cool view of the
case, perceived the next moment that it was
the true business" view after all.