RICHARD LINNELL THINKS HE HAS BEEN A FOOL. For a few moments, in the suddenness of the catastrophe, every one was too much astounded to take any steps. Linnell was the first to recover himself, and, leaping from his horse, he threw the rein to Bell. Mellersh followed his example, joining Linnell as he tried to drag open the door of the chaise, which was over upon its side with the off-wheeler kicking in the front, as it lay there upon its companion in a tangle of harness. The framework was so wrenched that for a minute or two the door would not yield, and the utter silence within sent a chill of horror through Linnell. "Let me come, Dick," whispered Mellersh, the catastrophe that had so suddenly befallen them forcing him to speak in subdued tones; "let me come, Dick. I'm stronger, perhaps." "Pish!" was the angry reply, as Linnell strained at the door, which suddenly yielded and flew open, the glass falling out with a tinkling noise. Just at the same time the man with the leaders trotted back with his frightened horses, the broken traces dragging behind. "Hurt, Jack?" he cried to his fellow. "No, not much," was the answer, as the postboy who rode the wheeler dragged his leg from beneath his horse, and immediately stepped round and held down the head of the animal, which was kicking and struggling to rise. "Woa! will yer. Hold still, Captain!" With the customary feeling of helplessness that comes over a horse as soon as its head is pressed down, the poor animal ceased its frantic efforts, uttered a piteous sigh that was like that of a human being, and lay perfectly still. "Old Spavin's a dead 'un, mate," said the man. "Dead?" said the second postboy. "Dead as a nit, mate. There'll be something to pay for to-night's job." "Anyone killed?" said the second man in a whisper. "I d'know, and I don't care," grumbled the man; "my leg's bruzz horrid. Shutin' like that! It's as bad as highwaymen. Here, come and help cut some of this harness. They'll stand now. Take out your knife, mate, and use it. They'll have to pay. I can't sit on this 'oss's head all night." "There's some of 'em got it," whispered the second man in a low voice, as he dismounted and stood beside his comrade watching while Linnell lifted out the insensible figure of one of the occupants of the chaise, and bore her, tangled in a thick cloak, to the roadside, where he laid her reverently upon the turf. "With you directly, Dick," said Mellersh, still in the subdued voice, as he climbed into the chaise, and, exerting all his strength, raised Rockley and half thrust, half lifted him out, to drag him to the other side of the road. "Is she much hurt, sir?" said Bell hoarsely. "I can't leave the horses." "I can't say. I don't know yet," panted Linnell, who was trying to lay open the folds of the cloak, which he at last succeeded in doing, so that the air blew freely on the insensible woman's face.