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which they were first halted. The sleigh was whirled from its dangerous
position, and upset with its runners outwards. The German and the divine were
thrown rather unceremoniously into the highway, but without danger to their
bones. Richard appeared in the air, for a moment, describing the segment of a
circle, of which the reins were the radii, and was landed at the distance of
some fifteen feet, in that snow-bank which the horses had dreaded, right end
uppermost. Here, as he instinctively grasped the reins, as drowning men seize
at straws, he admirably served the purpose of an anchor, to check the further
career of his steeds. The Frenchman who was on his legs in the act of
springing from the sleigh, took an aerial flight also, much in that attitude
which boys assume when they play leap-frog, and flying off in a tangent to the
curvature of his course, came into the snow bank head foremost, where he
remained, exhibiting two lathy legs on high, like scare-crows waving in a corn
field. Major Hartmann, whose self-possession had been admirably preserved
during the whole evolution, was the first of the party that gained his feet
and his voice.
 Ter deyvel, Richart! he exclaimed, in a voice half serious, half comical,
 put you unloat your sleigh very hantily.
It may be doubtful, whether the attitude in which Mr. Grant continued for an
instant after his overthrow, was the one into which he had been thrown, or was
assumed, in humbling himself before the power that he reverenced, in
thanksgivings at his escape. When he rose from his knees, he began to gaze
about him, with anxious looks, after the welfare of his companions, while
every joint in his body was trembling with nervous agitation. There was also a
slight confusion in the faculties of Mr. Jones, that continued for some little
time; but as the mist gradually cleared from before his eyes, he saw that all
was safe, and with an air of great self-satisfaction, he cried,  Well-- that
was neatly saved, any how--it was a lucky thought in me to hold on the reins,
or the fiery devils would have been over the mountain by this time. How well I
recovered myself, cousin  duke! Another moment would have been too late; but I
knew just the spot where to touch the off-leader; that blow under his right
flank, and the sudden jerk I gave with the reins, brought them round quite
handsomely, I must own myself.
 Thou jerk! thou recover thyself, Dickon! cried the judge, whose fears were
all vanished in mirth at the discomfiture of the party;  but for that brave
lad yonder, thou and thy horses, or rather mine, would have assuredly been
dashed to pieces--But where is Monsieur Le Quoi?
 Oh! mon cher Juge! Mon ami! cried a smothered voice,  praise be God I live;
vill-a you, Mister Agamemnon, be pleased come down ici, and help-a me on my
foot?
The divine and the negro seized the incarcernted Gaul by his legs, and
extricated him from a snow-bank of three feet in depth, whence his voice had
sounded as from the tombs. The thoughts of Mr. Le Quoi, immediately on his
liberation, were not extremely collected; and when he reached the light, he
threw his eyes upwards, in order to examine the distance he had fallen. His
good humour returned, however, with a knowledge of his safety, though it was
some little time before he clearly comprehended the case.
 What, monsieur, said Richard, who was busily assisting the black in taking
off the leaders;  are you there? I thought I saw you flying up towards the top
of the mountain, but just now.
 Praise be God, I no fly down into de lake, returned the Frenchman, with a
visage that was divided between pain, occasioned by a few large scratches that
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he had received in forcing his head through the crust, and the look of
complaisance that seemed natural to his pliable features:  ah! mon cher Mister
Deeck, vat you do next?--dere be noting you no try.
 The next thing, I trust, will be to learn to drive, said the Judge, who had
busied himself in throwing the buck, together with several articles of his
baggage, from his own sleigh into the snow;  here are seats for you all,
gentlemen; the evening grows piercingly cold, and the hour approaches for the
service of Mr. Grant: we will leave friend Jones to repair the damages, with
the assistance of Agamemnon, and hasten to a warm fire. Here, Dickon, are a
few articles of Bess s trumpery, that you can throw into your sleigh when
ready, and there is also a deer of my taking, that I will thank you to
bring--Aggy! remember there will be a visit from Santaclaus to your stocking
to-night, if you are smart and careful about the buck, and get in, in season.
The black grinned with the consciousness of the bribe that was thus offered
him for his silence on the subject of the deer, while Richard, without, in the
least, waiting for the termination of his cousin s speech, at once began his
reply--
 Learn to drive, sayest thou, cousin duke? Is there a man in the county who
knows more of horse-flesh than myself? Who broke in the filly, that no one
else dare mount? though your coachman did pretend that he had tamed her before
I took her in hand, but any body could see that he lied--he was a great liar,
that John--what s that, a buck? --Richard abandoned the horses, and ran to the
spot where Marmaduke had thrown the deer:  It is a buck indeed! I am amazed!
Yes, here are two holes in him; he has fired both barrels, and hit him each
time. Ecod! how Marmaduke will brag! he is a prodigious bragger about any
small matter like this now; well, well, to think that  duke has killed a buck
before christmas! There will be no such thing as living with him--they are
both bad shots though, mere chance --mere chance;--now, I never fired twice at
a cloven hoof in my life;--it is hit or miss with me --dead or runaway:--had
it been a bear, or a wild-cat, a man might have wanted both barrels. Here! you
Aggy! how far off was the Judge when this buck was shot?
 Eh! Massa Richard, may be a ten rod, cried the black, bending under one of
the horses, with the pretence of fastening a buckle, but in reality to conceal
the broad grin that opened a mouth from ear to ear.
 Ten rod! echoed the other;  why, Aggy, the deer I killed last winter was at
twenty--yes! if any thing it was nearer thirty than twenty. I wouldn t shoot
at a deer at ten rod: besides, you may remember, Aggy, I only fired once.
 Yes, Massa Richard, I member  em! Natty Bumppo fire t oder gun. You know,
sir, the folk say, Natty kill  em.
 The folks lie, you black devil! exclaimed Richard in great heat.  I have
not shot even a gray squirrel these four years, to which that old rascal has
not laid claim, or some one for him. This is a damn d envious world that we
live in-- people are always for dividing the credit of a thing, in order to
bring down merit to their own level. Now they have a story about the Patent,
that Hiram Doolittle helped to plan the steeple to St. Paul s; when Hiram [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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