the view terminating in a grove of tall trees, situated upon a
rising-ground. Beyond the dark outline of the trees, I saw nothing.

As we neared the grove, Satan slackened his speed; this I thought he
did with a view to crush me against the trunks of the trees. To
prevent him from having time to do this, I struck him with the spurs,
and away again he went like fury. As he burst through the trees, I
flung my head forward upon his neck, to prevent myself from being
swept off by the lower branches. In doing this, the spurs accidentally
came in contact with his sides. He gave one tremendous leap
forward--the ground sank under his feet--the horse was thrown over his
own head--I was jerked into the air--and, amid an avalanche of earth
and stones, we were hurled down a perpendicular bank into the brown,
swollen waters of the Clyde.

Owing to a bend in the river, the force of the current was directed
against this particular spot, and had undermined it; and although
strong enough to bear a man or a horse, under ordinary circumstances,
yet down at once it thundered under the desperate leap of Satan.
However, it did not signify, as nothing could have prevented us from
surging into the water at the next bound.

A large quantity of rain had fallen in the upper part of the shire;
and, in consequence, the river was full from bank to brae. I was
nearly a stranger to the place; indeed, so much so, that I had
supposed we were running from the river. This, combined with the
suddenness of the shock, and the appearance of a turbid, rapid
river--sweeping down trees, brushwood, branches, hay, corn, and straw
before it, with resistless force--was so foreign to my idea of the
calm, peaceful Clyde, that when I rose to the surface, I was quite