to' he tawk'd to th' donkey.

"Well Testy, what dus ta think abaaght it? Dus ta think aw should doo
for a hartillery chap? They dooant have donkeys i'th' horse hartillery,
or else awd tak thee. What are ta shakin' thi heead at? Well if aw doo
goa, iwl mak a present o' thee to th' Sunday skooil, for aw cudn't tell
what price to put on thi if aw wanted to sell thi. Hahivver, aw think it
ud be a gooid thing for me to practiss a bit, an' awve two owd muskets
at hooam at can be made come in, an' awl get up it' mornin' i' gooid
time an practiss for an haar or soa befooar we start for bizness. It'll
doo us booath gooid."

Chairley gate hooam, an' after stablin' Testy an' makkin him
cumfortable, he gave him a bit o' extra corn to mak him lively next
mornin'. He left t'stable sayin, "Well Testy, aw nivver thowt a makkin a
war-horse aght o' thee, tho' awve seen war horses nor thee; but to morn
tha'll have to be a chairger, an' if tha'rt hauf as gooid a chairger as
t'chap wor at sell'd thi to th' Superintendent, tha'll doo to practiss
on."

T'next mornin' Chairley gate his two muskets, an havin' teed one on th'
top o' each pannier, he maanted Testy, an' rooad him to a croft at back
o' th' haase.

"Nah," he says to hissen, "hah can aw pull these triggers when aw'm set
up here? It caan't be done; but if aw lig on my belly on th' top of his
back, aw can raich 'em then, an that'll be a better position to escape
th' enemy." Soa he ligg'd his full length o' Testy's back, an tuk hold
o' booath muskets wi' his fingers on th' triggers. "Nah Testy, see tha
behaves thisen' for this may be a turnin' point i' thy life as weel as
mine. Tha'll ha' to get used to th' smell o' paather, same as me. Nah
for it," he sed, an' he shut his een an' whisper'd, "one, two,
three--off!" He pooled booath triggers, booath muskets went off, an'
Chairley went off at th' same time, an' soa did one o' Testy's ears, an'
when Chairley lukk'd up Testy wor stanin' on his fore legs, sparrin'
away wi' his heels, as lively as yo'd wish to see. Chairley maniged to
sam hissen together, an' findin' at he worn't killed, he went to mak
friends ageean wi' Testy; an' if ivver ther wor two disconsolate lukkin'
jackasses i' this world, it wor them two.

"Well, this is a bonny come off," he sed, "tha'rt a bigger donkey nor aw
tuk thi for. Had ta noa mooar sense nor to put thi ear i'th' front ova
gun. Tha cud a heeard it goa off withaat lizenin' soa clois?

"Well, aw wish th