re. It evidently
considered it would be a sin to leave such a delicious salad, so
tempting and juicy, and suitable after a peck or two of dry, husky oats;
and, thoroughly determined not to pass the herbage by, it set its fore
feet straight out a good distance apart, and strained at the reins till,
as Mark pulled and pressed his feet against the stirrups, it seemed
probable that there would be a break.

"Oh, you brute!" cried the lad angrily; "you ugly, coarse, obstinate
brute! Pony! You're not a pony, I feel sure; you're only a miserable
mule, and your father was some long-eared, thick-skinned, thin-tailed,
muddle-headed, old jackass. Look here! I'll take out my sword, and
prick you with the point."

The cob evidently did not believe it, and kept on the strain of the bit,
till the lad took a rein in each hand, and began to saw the steel from
side to side, making it rattle against the animal's teeth.

This seemed to have a pleasant effect on the hard mouth, and produced
the result of the cob nodding its head a little; and just then, to
Mark's great disgust, Ralph turned his head and looked back.

"There! I expected as much. Now go on, you beast, or I'll kill you."

The pony snorted with satisfaction, for in his excitement, the rider had
slackened the reins a little. Down went the animal's muzzle; there was
another puff to blow away the insects, and it began to crop again, with
that pleasant sound heard when grazing animals are amongst rich herbage.

Then followed a fresh struggle, and the pony won, taking not the
slightest notice of the insulting remarks made by its rider about its
descent, appearance, and habits.

But at last, perhaps because it had had its own way, more probably
because it was not hungry, and just when the rider was thinking of
getting down to walk, and sending Dummy Rugg to find the animal next
day, it raised its head, ground up a little grass between its teeth and
then began to follow Ralph once more, as he trudged on without turning
his head again.

Still, try as he would, Mark could not get the animal to break into a
canter; in fact, the way was impossible; and when the sun had sunk down
below the western hill, which cast a great purple shadow, to begin
rising slowly higher and higher against the mountain on his left, he and
Ralph were still at about the same distance apart.

"I can't halloa to him to stop," muttered Mark angrily; "I don't want to
seem to know him, but to overtake