n there came on a blast, a horrible
roaring wind bearing night upon its wings, snow, and sleet, and hail.
Bagg says he had the fellow by the throat quite fast, as he thought, but
suddenly he became bewildered, and knew not where he was; and the man
seemed to melt away from his grasp, and the wind howled more and more,
and the night poured down darker and darker; the snow and the sleet
thicker and more blinding. 'Lord have mercy upon us!' said Bagg."

_Myself_. A strange adventure that; it is well that Bagg got home alive.

_John_. He says that the fight was a fair fight, and that the fling he
got was a fair fling, the result of a common enough wrestling trick. But
with respect to the storm, which rose up just in time to save the fellow,
he is of opinion that it was not fair, but something Irish and
supernatural.

_Myself_. I dare say he's right. I have read of witchcraft in the
Bible.

_John_. He wishes much to have one more encounter with the fellow; he
says that on fair ground, and in fine weather, he has no doubt that he
could master him, and hand him over to the quarter sessions. He says
that a hundred pounds would be no bad thing to be disbanded upon; for he
wishes to take an inn at Swanton Morley, keep a cock-pit, and live
respectably.

_Myself_. He is quite right; and now kiss me, my darling brother, for I
must go back through the bog to Templemore.

CHAPTER XIII

Groom and Cob--Strength and Symmetry--Where's the Saddle?--The First
Ride--No more Fatigue--Love for Horses--Pursuit of Words--Philologist and
Pegasus--The Smith--What more, Agrah!--Sassanach Ten Pence.

And it came to pass that, as I was standing by the door of the barrack
stable, one of the grooms came out to me, saying, "I say, young
gentleman, I wish you would give the cob a breathing this fine morning."

"Why do you wish me to mount him?" said I; "you know he is dangerous. I
saw him fling you off his back only a few days ago."

"Why, that's the very thing, master. I'd rather see anybody on his back
than myself; he does not like me; but, to them he does, he can be as
gentle as a lamb."

"But suppose," said I, "that he should not like me?"

"We shall soon see that, master," said the groom; "and, if so be he shows
temper, I will be the first to tell you to get down. But there's no fear
of that; you have never angered or insulted him, and to such as you, I
say again, he'll be as gentle as a lamb."

"And how came you