The Count of Monte Cristo

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would have caused disaster; but it kept on in the middle of the road,
and those who saw it pass uttered cries of terror.

Ali suddenly cast aside his chibouque, drew the lasso from his pocket,
threw it so skilfully as to catch the forelegs of the near horse in its
triple fold, and suffered himself to be dragged on for a few steps by
the violence of the shock, then the animal fell over on the pole, which
snapped, and therefore prevented the other horse from pursuing its way.
Gladly availing himself of this opportunity, the coachman leaped from
his box; but Ali had promptly seized the nostrils of the second horse,
and held them in his iron grasp, till the beast, snorting with pain,
sunk beside his companion. All this was achieved in much less time
than is occupied in the recital. The brief space had, however, been
sufficient for a man, followed by a number of servants, to rush from
the house before which the accident had occurred, and, as the coachman
opened the door of the carriage, to take from it a lady who was
convulsively grasping the cushions with one hand, while with the other