e, pointing to Tawno. "Here's the horse-leaper of the world!" "You
mean the horseback 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 your 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 in 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 that 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 at a windle-straw. Leap
over that meadow wall, Tawno." Just past the house, in the direction in
which I had been trotting, was a wall about four feet high, beyond which
was a small meadow. Tawno rode the horse gently up to the wall,
permitted him to look over, then backed him for about ten yards, and
pressing his calves against the horse's sides, he loos