ld gladly have slain him, climbed up into the gig, and presently
came back with the chain.

"Noo tak' her round to t' other side o' gig," he said; "we'll fasten her
just as Juno is."

When Bess was securely chained to the wheel the men ran to raise the
horse, who lay with its head in a pool of blood.

"There's a pond in yon field," Jack said, "if 'ee wants water."

After Bess was secured Jack had slipped round to Juno, and kept his hand
upon the buckle in readiness to loose her should any attempt be made
upon his personal safety. The men, however, were for the moment too
scared to think of him. It was some time before the horse was got on to
its legs, with a wet cloth wrapped round its bleeding wound. Fortunately
Bess's grip had included the bit-strap as well as the nostrils, and this
had somewhat lessened the serious nature of the hurt.

Jack had by this time pacified the dogs, and when the men looked round,
after getting the horse on to its legs, they were alarmed to see him
standing by quietly holding the dogs by a strap passing through their
collar.

"Doan't 'ee try to get into that ere cart," he said; "you've got to go
wi' me back to Stokebridge to t' lock-oop for hitting I and Bess. Now do
you walk quietly back and lead t' horse, and oi'll walk beside 'ee, and
if thou mov'st, or tries to get away, oi'll slip t' dogs, you see if I
doan't."

"You little villain," began one of the men furiously, but a deep growl
from Bess in reply to the angry tone at once silenced him; and burning
with rage they turned the horse's head back towards the village and
walked on, accompanied by Jack and his dogs on guard.

The arrival of this procession created much excitement, and a crowd of
women and children soon gathered. Jack, however, serenely indifferent
to questions and shouts, proceeded coolly on his way until he arrived at
the residence of the local constable, who, hearing the din, appeared at
his door.

"Maister Johnson," the child says, "I give them chaps in charge for
saulting I and Bess."

"And we give this little ruffian in charge," shouted the men, secure
that, in face of the constable and crowd, Jack could not loose his
terrible bull-dogs, "for setting his dogs at us, to the risk of our
lives and the injury of our horse, which is so much hurt that we believe
it will have to be killed."

Just at this moment Bill Haden--who had returned from work at the moment
that a boy running in reported that there was a r