Midnight
I wish we had time to call to give him a word of cheer . '' About two hundred yards beyond the cabin they left the main highway and entered upon a lumber road . This latter was used in the winter time in order to avoid a large hill on the former and the huge drifts which piled from fence to fence . At first Midnight slowed down to a walk , but at length , becoming a little impatient to get home , she broke into a gentle trot . Then , in the twinkling of an eye , the sleigh gave a great lurch , and before a hand could be raised Dan found himself shooting over the parson and falling headlong into the soft yielding snow . Recovering himself as quickly as possible , and brushing the snow from his mouth , ears and eyes , he groped around to ascertain what had happened . Away in the distance he could hear a crashing sound as Midnight hurried along with the overturned sleigh .