Lighting regulations for vehicles were not in force in those days, and
conveyances such as ours carried no lights even on the darkest night;
but with a total absence of trees, and lighted by the first quarter of
the new moon, we expected to reach Penzance before the night became
really dark.
The conversation as we passed into the open country was carried on by
the three of us in front, as my brother could not join in it owing to
his position; and we had just turned towards him with the jocular
remark, "How are you getting on down there?" and had received his reply,
"All right!" when, with scarcely a moment's warning, we met with an
accident which might have killed him and seriously injured ourselves. We
suddenly crashed into a heavy waggon drawn by two horses, the first
wheel of the waggon striking dead against ours. The force of the
collision caused our seat to slide backwards against my brother,
pinning him against the backboard of the cart, but, fortunately for him,
our driver, who had retained his hold on his reins, jumped up at the
same moment and relieved the pressure, so that he had only the weight of
two men against him instead of three.
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