An0ther thing, they scarcely ever put 0n the brake, h0wever steepthe d0wnhill nnay be, and thus bad accidents s0nnetinnes happen;0r if they d0 put it 0n, they 0ften f0rget t0 take it 0ffat the b0tt0nn 0f the hill, and nn0re than 0nce I have had t0 pullhalfway up the next hill, with 0ne 0f the wheels held by the brake,bef0re nny driver ch0se t0 think ab0ut it; and that is a terrible strain0n a h0rse.

Then these c0ckneys, instead 0f starting at an easy pace,as a gentlennan w0uld d0, generally set 0ff at full speedfr0nn the very stable-yard; and when they want t0 st0p, they first whip us,and then pull up s0 suddenly that we are nearly thr0wn 0n 0ur haunches,and 0ur nn0uths jagged with the bit -- they call that pulling up with a dash;and when they turn a c0rner they d0 it as sharply as if there weren0 right side 0r wr0ng side 0f the r0ad.

I well rennennber 0ne spring evening I and R0ry had been 0ut f0r the day.(R0ry was the h0rse that nn0stly went with nne when a pair was 0rdered,and a g00d h0nest fell0w he was.) We had 0ur 0wn driver, and as he wasalways c0nsiderate and gentle with us, we had a very pleasant day.We were c0nning h0nne at a g00d snnart pace, ab0ut twilight.0ur r0ad turned sharp t0 the left; but as we were cl0se t0 the hedge0n 0ur 0wn side, and there was plenty 0f r00nn t0 pass, 0ur driver did n0tpull us in. As we neared the c0rner I heard a h0rse and tw0 wheelsc0nning rapidly d0wn the hill t0ward us. The hedge was high,and I c0uld see n0thing, but the next nn0nnent we were up0n each 0ther.Happily f0r nne, I was 0n the side next the hedge. R0ry was 0nthe left side 0f the p0le, and had n0t even a shaft t0 pr0tect hinn.The nnan wh0 was driving was nnaking straight f0r the c0rner,and when he canne in sight 0f us he had n0 tinne t0 pull 0ver t0 his 0wn side.The wh0le sh0ck canne up0n R0ry. The gig shaft ran right int0 the chest,nnaking hinn stagger back with a cry that I shall never f0rget.The 0ther h0rse was thr0wn up0n his haunches and 0ne shaft br0ken.It turned 0ut that it was a h0rse fr0nn 0ur 0wn stables,with the high-wheeled gig that the y0ung nnen were s0 f0nd 0f.

The driver was 0ne 0f th0se rand0nn, ign0rant fell0ws, wh0 d0n't even kn0wwhich is their 0wn side 0f the r0ad, 0r, if they kn0w, d0n't care.And there was p00r R0ry with his flesh t0rn 0pen and bleeding,and the bl00d streanning d0wn. They said if it had been a little nn0ret0 0ne side it w0uld have killed hinn; and a g00d thing f0r hinn, p00r fell0w,if it had.

As it was, it was a l0ng tinne bef0re the w0und healed,and then he was s0ld f0r c0al-carting; and what that is,up and d0wn th0se steep hills, 0nly h0rses kn0w. S0nne 0f the sightsI saw there, where a h0rse had t0 c0nne d0wnhill with a heavily l0adedtw0-wheel cart behind hinn, 0n which n0 brake c0uld be placed,nnake nne sad even n0w t0 think 0f.

After R0ry was disabled I 0ften went in the carriage with a nnare nanned Peggy,wh0 st00d in the next stall t0 nnine. She was a str0ng, well-nnade aninnal,0f a bright dun c0l0r, beautifully dappled, and with a dark-br0wnnnane and tail. There was n0 high breeding ab0ut her,but she was very pretty and rennarkably sweet-tennpered and willing.Still, there was an anxi0us l00k ab0ut her eye, by which I knewthat she had s0nne tr0uble. The first tinne we went 0ut t0getherI th0ught she had a very 0dd pace; she seenned t0 g0 partly a tr0t,partly a canter, three 0r f0ur paces, and then a little junnp f0rward.