Jonathan Harker's Trip to Dracula's Castle - Part 1

Simple Past Tense Review

Fill in all the gaps with the simple past of the verbs in parentheses, then press "Check" to check your answers. Use the "Hint" button to get a free letter if an answer is giving you trouble. Note that you will lose points if you ask for hints! "Neg." means negative.
From Jonathan Harker's Journal

As I (look) back I (see) the steam from the horses of the coach by the light of the lamps, and projected against it the figures of my late companions crossing themselves. Then the driver (crack) his whip and (call) to his horses, and off they (sweep) on their way to Bukovina. As they (sink) into the darkness I (feel) a strange chill, and a lonely feeling come over me. But a cloak was thrown over my shoulders, and a rug across my knees, and the driver (say) in excellent German-"The night is chill, mein Herr, and my master the Count (bid) me take all care of you. There is a flask of slivovitz (the plum brandy of the country) underneath the seat, if you should require it."
I (take neg.) any, but it was a comfort to know it was there all the same. I (feel) a little strange, and not a little frightened. I think had there been any alternative I should have taken it, instead of prosecuting that unknown night journey. The carriage (go) at a hard pace straight along, then we (make) a complete turn and (go) along another straight road. It (seem) to me that we were simply going over and over the same ground again, and so I (take) note of some salient point, and (find) that this was so. I would have liked to have asked the driver what this all (mean), but I really (fear) to do so, for I (think) that, placed as I was, any protest would have had no effect in case there had been an intention to delay.
By-and-by, however, as I was curious to know how time was passing, I (strike) a match, and by its flame (look) at my watch. It was within a few minutes of midnight. This (give) me a sort of shock, for I suppose the general superstition about midnight was increased by my recent experiences. I (wait) with a sick feeling of suspense.
Then a dog (begin) to howl somewhere in a farmhouse far down the road, a long, agonized wailing, as if from fear. The sound was taken up by another dog, and then another and another, till, borne on the wind which now (sigh) softly through the Pass, a wild howling (begin), which (seem) to come from all over the country, as far as the imagination could grasp it through the gloom of the night.