During their courship, George, while on his way to see Sylvia,encounte d a terrible mishap that changed his life. A snake on thepath startle d his horse, causing it to rear and tumble onto its side,pinning Georg e's leg in the stirrup, nearly severing his foot. Itwas so severely c rushed and swelled so large that it had to beamputated, leaving George t o walk with a prosthesis forever. He hada daytime working apparatus a nd a lighter "night peg" as descendantsdescribed it. Sylvia married h im despite the handicap.
