hat did not go over into the stream. It was
caught upon the turn by some of the ruin of the bridge, and hung
suspended and balanced in an apparently impossible manner. Two ladies
were my fellow-passengers, an old one and a young one. This is exactly
what passed. You may judge from it the precise length of the suspense:
Suddenly we were off the rail, and beating the ground as the car of a
half-emptied balloon might. The old lady cried out, "My God!" and the
young one screamed. I caught hold of them both (the old lady sat
opposite and the young one on my left), and said: "We can't help
ourselves, but we can be quiet and composed. Pray don't cry out." The
old lady immediately answered: "Thank you. Rely upon me. Upon my soul I
will be quiet." We were then all tilted down together in a corner of the
carriage, and stopped. I said to them thereupon: "You may be sure
nothing worse can happen. Our danger _must_ be over. Will you remain
here without stirring, while I get out of the window?" They both
answered quite collectedly, "Yes," and I got out without the least
notion what had happened. Fortunately I got out with great caution and
stood upon the step. Looking down I saw the bridge gone, and nothing
below me but the line of rail. Some people in the two other compartments
were madly trying to plunge out at window, and had no idea that there
was an open swampy field fifteen feet down below them, and nothing else!
The two guards (one with his face cut) were running up and down on the
down side of the bridge (which was not torn up) quite wildly. I called
out to them: "Look at me. Do stop an instant and look at me, and tell me
whether you don't know me." One of them answered: "We know you very
well, Mr. Dickens." "Then," I said, "my good fellow, for God's sake give
me your key, and send one of those labourers here, and I'll empty this
carriage." We did it quite safely, by means of a plank or two, and when
it was done I saw all the rest of the train, except the two baggage
vans, down in the stream. I got into the carriage again for my brandy
flask, took off my travelling hat for a basin, climbed down the
brickwork, and filled my hat with water.

Suddenly I came upon a staggering man covered with blood (I think he
must have been flung clean out of his carriage), with such a frightful
cut across the skull that I couldn't bear to look at him. I poured some
water over his face and gave him some to drink, then gave him some
brandy, and