he hotel cellars
contained some excellent brandy, and he had been taking a parting glass
with the Irish diver before commencing his journey.

And as he now made his appearance on the railway platform, he was any
thing but steady on his new legs.

"Better late than never, Mr. Mole," said Harvey.

"I am not late."

"Yes, sir. Two minutes more, and the train will be here."

An engine was in fact at that moment shunting some carriages which were
to be attached to the train.

Mr. Mole turned on hearing the noise of the approaching locomotive.

But being, as aforesaid, slightly unsteady on his legs, he fell.

Fell right across the metals.

"Oh! help!" he cried.

But before anyone could stir, the engine was upon him.

The porters shouted, the ladies screamed with fright.

"Oh, Heaven! is it not horrible?" exclaimed a French man. "Did you not
hear the bones crash as the wheels went over his legs?"

"Over his legs," shouted Harvey. "Ha, ha! if that is all, it does not
matter much."

The engine stopped, and Mole was rescued from his perilous position.

He had fainted, but a glass of water restored him.

"Are you hurt, old man?" asked Dick.

"No; I think not. It's only my legs, nothing else."

"Great Heaven, what a narrow escape!"

"So it is; but here is a nuisance, both my legs cut clean off, six
inches above the ankle."

"Here, porter, put this gentleman in a first-class carriage," said
Harkaway senior.

"But, monsieur, he must be taken to the hospital; the surgeon is close
at hand."

"Doctor be hanged! This gentleman must go to Paris by the next train."

The porters, being evidently unwilling to touch Mr. Mole, Harkaway
said--

"Here, lend a hand, old man."

"All right," responded Harvey.

The pair of them immediately hoisted Mr. Mole into the carriage, the
others took their seats, the engineer blew his whistle, and off they
went.

To complete the horror of the spectators, who admired Mole's fortitude,
and loathed the apparent barbarity of his friends, as the train was
moving off, Harvey was plainly seen to cut off the old gentleman's
shattered limbs, and pitch them into some empty goods waggons that were
going in another direction.

"What horrid barbarians!" was the general exclamation of the bewildered
spectators of the strange scene.

"A pretty object you have made of me certainly," grumbled Mole, looking
down at his curtailed legs.

"Your own fault, Mr. Mole," responded Harvey.

"L