Amos Huntingdon | Page 2

her young deliverer, then sprang back to extricate his father.
"Give me your hand, father," he cried, as he stooped down into the
carriage, which was now creaking and swaying rather ominously. "A
light here, Harry--Jim!" he continued. It was plain that there was no
time for delay, as the vehicle seemed to be settling down more and
more in the direction of the chasm over which it hung. A light was
quickly brought, and Mr Huntingdon was released at last from his
trying and painful durance; but not without considerable difficulty, as
he had been much bruised, and almost stunned, by being dashed against
the undermost door, and by his poor sister having been thrown
violently on him, when the carriage had turned suddenly on its side.
"Hip, hip, hurrah!" shouted Walter, springing on to the hind wheel;
"`all's well that ends well.' No bones broken I hope, dear father, dear
aunt."
"Have a care, Master Walter," cried the coachman, who had now
managed, with the elder son's help, to release the frightened horse from
the traces, and had given it in charge to the stable-boy,--"have a care, or
you'll be over into the chalk-pit, carriage and all."
"All right, William," cried the boy; "you look after Beauty, and I'll look

after myself." So saying, he jumped down, making the carriage rock as
he sprang to the ground.
And now, while Miss Huntingdon, who had suffered nothing more
serious than a severe shaking, was being led to the house by her elder
nephew and the female servants who had joined the rescuing party, Mr
Huntingdon, having made a careful inspection of the position of his
carriage, found that it was in no danger of falling to the bottom of the
chalk-pit, as a stout tree, which sprang from the side of the pit, close to
the top, had become entangled in the undermost hind wheel, and would
form a sufficient support till the proper means of drawing the vehicle
fully on to the level ground could be used on the morrow. All parties
then betook themselves slowly to the Manor-house.
In the kitchen, William the coachman was, of course, the great centre of
attraction to a large gathering of domestics, and of neighbours also,
who soon came flocking in, spite of the lateness of the hour, to get an
authentic version of the accident, which, snowball-like, would, ere
noon next day, get rolled up into gigantic proportions, as it made its
way through many mouths to the farther end of the parish.
In the drawing-room of the Manor-house a sympathising group
gathered round Mr Huntingdon and his sister, eager to know if either
were seriously the worse for the alarming termination to their journey.
Happily, both had escaped without damage of any consequence, so that
before they retired to rest they were able, as they drew round the cheery
fire, and heard the stormy wind raging without, to talk over the perilous
adventure with mutual congratulations at its happy termination, and
with thankfulness that the travellers were under the shelter of the
Manor roof, instead of being exposed to the rough blasts of the storm,
as they might still have been had the mishap occurred further from
home. "Walter, my boy," exclaimed Mr Huntingdon, stretching out his
hand to his younger son, "it was bravely done. If it had not been for you,
we might have been hanging over the mouth of the chalk-pit yet--or,
perhaps, been down at the bottom. You are a lad after your father's own
heart,--good old-fashioned English pluck and courage; there's nothing I
admire so much." As he said these words, his eye glanced for a moment

at his eldest son Amos, who was standing at the outside of the group, as
though he felt that the older brother had no claim on his regard on the
score of courage. The young man coloured slightly, but made no
remark. He might, had he so pleased, have put in his claim for loving
notice, on the ground of presence of mind in stilling the plunging
horse,--presence of mind, which commonly contributes more to success
and deliverance in an emergency than impulsive and impetuous
courage; but he was not one to assert himself, and the coachman and
stable-boy, who knew the part he had taken, were not present to speak a
word for him. So his younger brother Walter got the praise, and was
looked upon as the hero of the adventure.
CHAPTER TWO.
UNDER A CLOUD.
Mr Huntingdon was a country gentleman of good fortune and popular
manners, warm in his temper, hasty in his speech, upright in his
transactions, and liberal in his dealings. No man could make a better
speech, when he had those to address who substantially agreed with
him; while in ordinary conversation