lph,
who had fallen into one of his mischievous moods.

"Hum! sir--will he carry double, do you think?"

"Carry double! He'd carry a thousand--Fodder would! Just get into
the saddle, and I'll put my handkerchief on his back, and mount
behind--I'll guide him. Come!"

And Ralph, with a suppressed chuckle, pushed Mr. Jinks toward the
saddle.

Mr. Jinks looked round--cleared his throat--glanced at the expression
of the donkey's eyes--and endeavored to discover from the movement of
his ears if he was vicious. Fodder seemed to be peaceful--Mr. Jinks
got into the saddle, his grasshopper legs reaching nearly to the
ground.

"Now!" cried Ralph, vaulting behind him, "now for a ride!"

And seizing the reins, before Mr. Jinks could even get his feet into
the stirrups, the young man kicked the donkey vigorously, and set off
at a gallop.

Mr. Jinks leaned forward in the saddle with loud cries, balancing
himself by the pummel, and holding on to the mane. Fodder was
frightened by the cries, and ran like a race-horse, kicking up his
heels, and indeed rendered Ralph's position somewhat perilous. But
that gentleman was experienced, from earliest infancy, in riding
bareback, and held on. He also held Mr. Jinks on.

The great swordsman continued to utter loud cries, and to remonstrate
piteously. Only the clatter of his sword, and Ralph's shouts of
laughter, answered him.

Still on! and in five minutes Fodder was opposite the store of
O'Brallaghan.

A brilliant idea suddenly struck Ralph; with the rapidity and presence
of mind of a great general, he put it into execution.

Fodder found one rein loosened--the other drawn violently round; the
consequence was, that from a straight course, he suddenly came to
adopt a circular one. Mr. Jinks had just saved himself by wrapping his
legs, so to speak, around the donkey's person, when Ralph's design was
accomplished.

Fodder, obeying the pull upon the rein, sweeped down upon
O'Brallaghan's shop, and in the midst of the cries of babies, the
barking of dogs, and the shrill screams of elderly ladies, entered
the broad door of the clothes-warehouse, and thrust his nose into Mr.
O'Brallaghan's face, just as that gentleman was cutting out the sixth
pair of pantaloons for himself, in which he was to personate St.
Michael.

O'Brallaghan staggered back--Ralph burst into a roar of laughter, and
sliding from Fodder, ignominiously retreated, leaving Mr. Jinks and
O'Brallaghan face to face.