throw me down, he plunged into the middle of that great bog there,
and so I jumped off for fear of being swallowed up, otherwise I should
soon have made him submit, for I am used to such things, and don't mind
them in the least."

Here the child that the man was carrying began to cry bitterly, and the
father endeavoured to pacify him, but in vain. "Poor thing," said Tommy,
"he seems to be unwell; I am heartily sorry for him!" "Alas! master,"
answered the man, "he is not well, indeed; he has now a violent ague fit
upon him, and I have not had a morsel of bread to give him or any of the
rest since yesterday noon."

Tommy was naturally generous, and now his mind was unusually softened by
the remembrance of his own recent distresses; he therefore pulled a
shilling out of his pocket and gave it to the man, saying, "Here, my
honest friend, here is something to buy your child some food, and I
sincerely wish he may soon recover." "God bless your sweet face!" said
the man; "you are the best friend I have seen this many a day; but for
this kind assistance we might have been all lost." He then, with many
bows and thanks, struck across the common into a different path, and
Tommy went forward, feeling a greater pleasure at this little act of
humanity than he had long been acquainted with among all the fine
acquaintance he had lately contracted.

But he had walked a very little way with these reflections before he met
with a new adventure. A flock of sheep was running, with all the
precipitation which fear could inspire, from the pursuit of a large
dog; and just as Tommy approached, the dog had overtaken a lamb, and
seemed disposed to devour it. Tommy was naturally an enemy to all
cruelty, and therefore, running towards the dog with more alacrity than
prudence, he endeavoured to drive him from his prey; but the animal, who
probably despised the diminutive size of his adversary, after growling a
little while and showing his teeth, when he found that this was not
sufficient to deter him from intermeddling, entirely quitted the sheep,
and making a sudden spring, seized upon the skirt of Tommy's coat, which
he shook with every expression of rage. Tommy behaved with more
intrepidity than could have been expected, for he neither cried out nor
attempted to run, but made his utmost efforts to disengage himself from
his enemy. But, as the contest was so unequal, it is probable he would
have been severely bitten, had not the honest stranger