Saint Paul's as try to stop him.
Good gracious me! I'm shaken into a jelly."

"Mine was just as hard-mouthed," said the professor.

"Hard-mouthed? say iron-mouthed while you are about it. And look here,
Lawrence, don't you make your pony play such tricks again."

"I did nothing, sir," expostulated Lawrence.

"Nonsense, sir! don't tell me. I saw you tickle him with your hand
behind the saddle."

"But, Mr Burne--"

"Don't interrupt and contradict, sir. I distinctly saw you do it, and
then the nasty brute kicked up his heels, and squealed, and frightened
the others."

"But, Mr Burne--"

"Don't prevaricate, sir, I saw you, and when that brute squealed out you
could hear the noise go echoing all down the valley."

In the most innocent manner--having his handkerchief out of his pocket--
the old lawyer applied it to his nose and gave another blast, the result
being that the horses nearly went off again; but Yussuf caught Mr
Burne's steed, and the professor and Lawrence managed to hold theirs in,
but not without difficulty.

"What! were you doing it again?" cried Mr Burne angrily.

"My dear Burne--no, no; pray, don't do that," cried the professor.
"Don't you see that it was you who startled the animals off?"

"I startle them? I? What nonsense!"

"But indeed you did, when you blew your nose so loudly."

"Blew my nose so loudly! Did I blow my nose so loudly?"

"Did you? why it was you who raised that echo."

"I? Raised that echo? My dear sir, are you dreaming?"

"Dreaming? No! A ride like that upon a rough Turkish horse does not
conduce to dreaming. My dear Burne, did you not know that you made that
noise?"

"Noise? What, when I blew my nose, or when I took snuff?"

Lawrence could not contain himself, but burst into another tremendous
fit of laughter, while, when the old lawyer looked up at him angrily,
and then glanced at Yussuf, it was to see that the latter had turned his
face away, and was apparently busily rearranging the bridle of his
horse.

"But I say, Preston," said the old lawyer then, "do you really mean to
say that I made enough noise to frighten the horses? I thought it was
Lawrence there tickling that biting beast of his."

"But I did not tickle him, Mr Burne," protested Lawrence.

"Bless my heart, it's very strange! What do you say, Preston?--you
don't answer me. It is very strange."

"Strange indeed that you do not recognise the fact that the tremendous
noise you made