back and
leap him." "You mean yourself, I suppose," said the landlord. "Well, I
call that talking modestly, and nothing becomes a young man more than
modesty." "It a'n't I, daddy," said Mr. Petulengro. "Here's the man,"
said he, pointing to Tawno. "Here's the horse-leaper of the world!" "You
mean the horse-back breaker," said the landlord. "That big fellow would
break down my cousin's horse." "Why, he weighs only sixteen stone," said
Mr. Petulengro. "And his sixteen stone, with his way of handling a
horse, does not press so much as any other one's thirteen. Only let him
get on the horse's back, and you'll see what he can do!" "No," said the
landlord, "it won't do." Whereupon Mr. Petulengro became very much
excited; and pulling out a handful of money, said, "I'll tell you what,
I'll forfeit these guineas, if my black pal there does the horse any kind
of damage; duck me in the horse-pond if I don't." "Well," said the
landlord, "for the sport of the thing I consent, so let your white pal
get down, and our black pal mount as soon as he pleases." I felt rather
mortified at Mr. Petulengro's interference; and showed no disposition to
quit my seat; whereupon he came up to me and said, "Now, brother, do get
out of the saddle--you are no bad hand at trotting, I am willing to
acknowledge that; but at leaping a horse there is no one like Tawno. Let
every dog be praised for his own gift. You have been showing off in your
line for the last half-hour; now do give Tawno a chance of exhibiting a
little; poor fellow, he hasn't often a chance of exhibiting, as his wife
keeps him so much out of sight." Not wishing to appear desirous of
engrossing the public attention, and feeling rather desirous to see how
Tawno, of whose exploits in leaping horses I had frequently heard, would
acquit himself in the affair, I at length dismounted, and Tawno, at a
bound, leaped into the saddle, where he really looked like Gunnar of
Hlitharend, save and except the complexion of Gunnar was florid, whereas
that of Tawno was of nearly Mulatto darkness; and that all Tawno's
features were cast in the Grecian model, whereas Gunnar had a snub nose.
"There's a leaping-bar behind the house," said the landlord. "Leaping-
bar!" said Mr. Petulengro, scornfully. "Do you think my black pal ever
rides at a leaping-bar? No more than a windle-straw. Leap over that
meadow-wall, Tawno." Just past the house, in the direction in which I
had been trotting, was