he began to lose ground; at the foot of the hill he was about
fifteen yards behind. Whereupon I turned slowly and waited for him. We
then set off towards the house, but now the cob had no chance, being at
least twenty yards behind when I reached the door. This running of
horses, the wild uncouth forms around me, and the ale and beer which were
being guzzled from pots and flagons, put me wonderfully in mind of the
ancient horse-races of the heathen north. I almost imagined myself
Gunnar of Hlitharend at the race of--.

'Are you satisfied?' said the landlord. 'Didn't you tell me that he
could leap?' I demanded. 'I am told he can,' said the landlord; 'but I
can't consent that he should be tried in that way, as he might be
damaged.' 'That's right!' said Mr. Petulengro, 'don't trust my pal to
leap that horse; he'll merely fling him down and break his neck and his
own. There's a better man than he close by; let him get on his back and
leap him.' 'You mean yourself, I suppose,' said the landlord. 'Well, I
call that talking modestly, and nothing becomes a young man more than
modesty.' 'It ain't I, daddy,' said Mr. Petulengro. 'Here's the man,'
said he, pointing to Tawno. 'Here's the horse-leaper of the world!'
'You mean the horse-back-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
littl