Automobile travel; France -- Description and travel
Later in the day as we speed down a long incline the only thing in
sight is a huge van drawn by three horses tandem. Jean sounds his horn
constantly, which has the effect of causing them to straggle all across
the road. No man is in sight--nothing save an old dog that is working
his best to get the horses into line and out of our way. This he
succeeds in doing, but alas, though Jean does his _best_ to save him,
he goes down under our wheels and I distinctly feel the crunch, crunch,
as we pass over his poor old body, driving the life out. As I look
back, it is only an old dog dead in the dusty highway with some old
horses gazing down at his quiet figure. They have been friends for so
many years,--it is all over now. When we see the stupid driver emerge
from beneath the van, where he has been asleep in a swinging basket, we
almost regret that it was not he instead of the old dog. My man did his
best to save the dog and felt as badly as I did over his death, but he
must have ditched the auto with danger to us and wreck for the machine
to have done other than he did.
These vans are the terror of these highways and the government should
either banish the automobiles or force the van drivers to attend to
their charges. We passed dozens to-day with the drivers fast asleep
underneath, as was this man, or if not asleep then yards behind their
teams. Several times serious wrecking was prevented only by Jean's cool
head and prompt hand. There should be a law passed and enforced with
a fine, that would correct matters. The death of that poor old dog
saddened the whole day.
About five o'clock in the afternoon, as the shadows lengthened and we
were passing slowly through the streets of Lannemezan, on rounding a
corner we were confronted by two hogs and a driver--the lesser beast
fled away in terror, but the larger--a good-sized porker,--kept his
place firmly planted in the middle of the road, while with his ears
pointed forward and snout lowered, he gravely regarded our approach as
much as to say, "Let me see, let me see, what have we here?" Just then
Jean ran the machine gently against him and bowled him over, whereupon
the air was rent asunder by squeals from his astounded and indignant
pigship, and a volley of oaths in the patois of this section from his
master, which together with remarks from Jean and shrieks of laughter
from Yama rendered the spot anything but tranquil. The personalities
and profanities of these two Frenchmen would certainly have caused
their telephones to be removed if passed thereover.
Our route all the afternoon is glorious, on a high table-land,
overlooking the Garonne and commanding the sparkling Pyrenees as far as
the eye can reach both east and west; the air is fresh and full of life.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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