at four o'clock. A nail in one of my front shoes had started as I came
along, but the hostler did not notice it till just about four o'clock.
Smith did not come into the yard till five, and then he said he should
not leave till six, as he had met with some old friends. The man then
told him of the nail, and asked if he should have the shoe looked to.

"No," said Smith, "that will be all right till we get home."

He spoke in a very loud, offhand way, and I thought it very unlike him
not to see about the shoe, as he was generally wonderfully particular
about loose nails in our shoes. He did not come at six nor seven, nor
eight, and it was nearly nine o'clock before he called for me, and then
it was with a loud, rough voice. He seemed in a very bad temper, and
abused the hostler, though I could not tell what for.

The landlord stood at the door and said, "Have a care, Mr. Smith!" but
he answered angrily with an oath; and almost before he was out of the
town he began to gallop, frequently giving me a sharp cut with his whip,
though I was going at full speed. The moon had not yet risen, and it was
very dark. The roads were stony, having been recently mended; going over
them at this pace, my shoe became looser, and as we neared the turnpike
gate it came off.

If Smith had been in his right senses he would have been sensible of
something wrong in my pace, but he was too drunk to notice.

Beyond the turnpike was a long piece of road, upon which fresh stones
had just been laid--large sharp stones, over which no horse could be
driven quickly without risk of danger. Over this road, with one shoe
gone, I was forced to gallop at my utmost speed, my rider meanwhile