"I'll teach him!" I had been standing up, adding my endeavours to Hawkesbury's to pacify our companion, when he suddenly lashed furiously at the horse.

The wretched animal, already irritated beyond endurance, gave a wild bound forward, which threw me off my feet, and before I could put out a hand to save myself pitched me backwards into the road.
I was conscious of falling with a heavy crash against the kerb with my arm under me, and of seeing the dogcart tearing down the street.

Then everything seemed dark, and I remember nothing more.
When I did recover consciousness I was lying in a strange room on a strange bed.

It took an effort to remember what had occurred.

But a dull pain all over reminded me, and gradually a more acute and intense pain on my left side.