The fact that both
the driver and the sailor escaped being seriously hurt, was not so
wonderful as it might seem. Horses have generally an instinctive
caution about not stepping upon any thing under their feet. If a
little child were lying asleep in the middle of a road, and a horse
were to come galloping along without any rider, the mother, who
should see the sight from the window of the house, would doubtless be
exceedingly terrified; but in all probability the horse would pass the
child without doing it any injury. He would leap over it, or go around
it, as he would if it were a stone. This is one reason why, in so many
cases, persons are run over without being hurt. The driver and the
sailor, however, fell rather behind the horses' heels, and escaped
them in that way, and they came down so exactly into the middle of the
road, that they were out of the way of the track of the wheels, and
thus they escaped serious injury.
The misfortunes of the evening, however, did not end here. The road
was rather rough, and there were many ruts and joltings; and one or
two of the passengers seemed to feel some fear lest the stage should
upset. One, who sat near the door, put his arm out at the window over
the door, so as to get his hand upon the handle of the catch, in
order, as he said, to be ready to open the door and spring out, at a
moment's warning.
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