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Tarantass, tar-an-tas′, n. a four-wheeled vehicle having a boat-shaped body, without springs.

Thanks to Providence, however, no more serious harm was done to us than the fall of the tarantass into the swollen river, a compulsory bath in full uniform for some of the Cossacks, various bruises and scratches, and a broken litter.

The steeplechase under ordinary conditions may be a noble sport and may have its charm and many dangers, but it cannot be compared with such a cross-country race in a tarantass, escorted by a detachment of Cossacks.

It may be as well, perhaps, to give some idea of what a tarantass is like.

Across the cultivated ground it was pleasant enough for those on horseback, but to me, in my tarantass, it was like being on the rack.