Meantime all was confusion, and it was a case of every one for himself;
but the only man who was equal to the occasion was our driver, who with
one hand pulled his horse backwards almost as quickly as the other
horses came forward, and with his whip in the other hand slashed
furiously at the face of the waggoner, who was seated on the wide board
in front of his waggon fast asleep and, as it afterwards appeared, in a
state of intoxication.
Our conveyance was on its proper side of the road and quite near the
fence, so that our friend jumped out of it on the land above, quickly
followed by myself, and, rapidly regaining the road, we ran towards the
horses attached to the waggon and stopped them.
A tremendous row now followed between the waggoner, who was a powerfully
built man, and our driver, and the war of words seemed likely to lead to
blows; but my brother, whom in the excitement of the moment we had quite
forgotten, now appeared upon the scene in rather a dazed condition, and,
hearing the altercation going on, advanced within striking distance of
the waggoner. I could see by the way he held his cudgel that he meant
mischief if the course of events had rendered it necessary, but the
blood on the waggoner's face showed he had been severely punished
already.
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