e
degree. The pony had wandered eight or ten yards further away; and he
had managed, somehow, to remove himself from the middle of the road: I
found him seated in a recumbent position on the bank,--looking very white
and sickly still, and holding his cambric handkerchief (now more red than
white) to his head. It must have been a powerful blow; but half the
credit--or the blame of it (which you please) must be attributed to the
whip, which was garnished with a massive horse's head of plated metal.
The grass, being sodden with rain, afforded the young gentleman a rather
inhospitable couch; his clothes were considerably bemired; and his hat
was rolling in the mud on the other side of the road. But his thoughts
seemed chiefly bent upon his pony, on which he was wistfully gazing--half
in helpless anxiety, and half in hopeless abandonment to his fate.

I dismounted, however, and having fastened my own animal to the nearest
tree, first picked up his hat, intending to clap it on his head; but
either he considered his head unfit for a hat, or the hat, in its present
condition, unfit for his head; for shrinking away the one, he took the
other from my hand, and scornfully cast it aside.

'It's good enough for you,' I muttered.

My next good office was to catch his pony and bring it to him, which was
soon accomplished; for the beast was quiet enough in the main, and only
winced and flirted a trifle till I got hold of the bridle--but then, I
must see him in the saddle.

'Here, you fellow--scoundrel--dog--give me your hand, and I'll help you
to mount.'

No; he turned from me in disgust. I attempted to take him by the arm.
He shrank away as if there had been contamination in my touch.

'What, you won't! Well! you may sit there till doomsday, for what I
care. But I suppose you don't want to lose all the blood in your
body--I'll just condescend to bind that up for you.'

'Let me alone, if you please.'

'Humph; with all my heart. You may go to the d--l, if you choose--and
say I sent you.'

But before I abandoned him to his fate I flung his pony's bridle over a
stake in the hedge, and threw him my handkerchief, as his own was now
saturated with blood. He took it and cast it back to me in abhorrence
and contempt, with all the strength he could muster. It wanted but this
to fill the measure of his offences. With execrations not loud but deep
I left him to live or die as he could, well satisfied that I had done my
duty i