We were due at Neuera-ellia at six, but we had only one pair of horses
to drag our heavy load up the steep mountain road, and the poor
creatures jibbed, kicked over the traces, broke them three times, and
more than once were so near going over the edge of the precipice that
I jumped out, and the other passengers, all gentlemen, walked the
whole of that stage. The next was no better, the fresh pair of horses
jibbing and kicking worse than ever. At last one kicked himself free
of all the harness, and fell on his back in a deep ditch. If it had
not been so tiresome, it really would have been very laughable,
especially as everybody was more or less afraid of the poor horse's
heels, and did not in the least know how to extricate him.
In this dilemma our hunting experiences came in usefully, for with the
aid of a trace, instead of a stirrup leather, passed round his neck,
half-a-dozen men managed to haul the horse on to his legs again; but
the pitchy darkness rendered the repair of damages an exceedingly
difficult task. The horses, moreover, even when once more in their
proper position, declined to move, but the gentlemen pushed and the
drivers flogged and shouted, and very slowly and with many stops we
ultimately reached the end of that stage. Here we found a young horse,
who had no idea at all of harness; so after a vain attempt to utilise
his services, another was sent for, thus causing further delay.
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