heer terror at the top of his
voice. He was gone in a flash and I learned afterwards that within an
hour of his arrival at the village, he put in his papers on some plea of
urgency, and immediately went down country. Years afterwards I brought
my wife to town to hear an afternoon lecture from Mr Bennett Burleigh,
who was just back from one of his numerous campaigns. We were staying
on for the theatre, and in the interim we dined at the Criterion, A
gentleman in evening dress came in with a theatre party consisting of
three ladies. He busied himself for a while in arranging his party and
then sat down facing me. Our eyes met, and I do not remember to have
seen a man more painfully embarrassed. He blushed until his very ears
were pink, and if I could have found the courage I would have taken
him aside and have made to him a confession which might possibly have
soothed his mind.

A reputation for coolness in danger, like other reputations, is often
got without much deserving. At the time of the Russo-Turkish war, the
railway had its terminus a few miles beyond Tatar Bazardjik. I was
travelling north with a party of English doctors and we alighted at the
station there for refreshment. We had been misinformed about the length
of time for which the train halted there and were hurriedly summoned by
the guard when it was already in motion. The engine-driver slowed down
until it was possible, by hard running, to overtake our carriage. I was
in heavy riding boots and somewhat hampered by that fact, and just as
my fingers touched the brass guard at the side of the compartment, I
tripped on a ground wire and fell beneath the approaching train in such
a fashion that the carriage wheel was actually between my thighs. I
clutched the _marche-pied_ with both arms and clung on with all my
might. The revolving wheel was actually rubbing at the inside of my legs
and the spurs were torn from the heels of my boots. How I executed the
manoeuvre I shall never know, but before the train was brought to a
standstill, I was on my knees on the _marche-pied_ and was being helped
into the railway carriage by one of my companions. I suppose that it
must have been the most imminent moment of danger I have ever known,
but I can testify quite honestly to one queer thing--I was absolutely
without fear--and with a horrible death actually grazing me, I was as
coolly self-possessed as I ever have been in the whole course of my
life. But there was the shock o