nnot endure it; it's perfectly shocking."

"Blister their bowls!" exclaimed Tooler, whose first impulse was to
drag the dog out of the boot at all hazards, but who, on seeing the
horses waiting in the road a short distance ahead for the next stage,
thought it better to wait till he had reached them. "I'll make un
remember this the longest day o' thar blessed lives,--blarm un! Phih!
I'll let un know when I get back, I warrant. I'll larn un to--"

"Hoa, coachman! hoa! my hat's off!" cried Valentine, throwing his
voice to the back of the coach.

"Well, _may_ I be--phit!" said Tooler. "I'll make yow run for't
anyhow--phit!"

In less than a minute the coach drew up opposite the stable, when the
gentleman in black at once proceeded to alight. Just, however, as
his foot reached the plate of the roller-bolt, another growl from
Valentine frightened him backwards, when falling upon one of the
old horse-keepers, he knocked him fairly down, and rolled over him
heavily.

"Darng your cloomsy carkus," cried the horse-keeper, gathering himself
up, "carn't you git oof ar cooarch aroat knocking o' pipple darn?"

"I-I-I beg pardon," tremblingly observed the gentleman in black; "I
hope I-I--"

"Whoap! pardon!" contemptuously echoed the horse-keeper as he limped
towards the bars to unhook the leaders' traces.

"Now then, yow warmint, let's see who yow belong to," said Tooler,
approaching the mouth of the boot; but just as he was in the act of
raising the foot-board, another angry snap made him close it again
with the utmost rapidity.

"Lay down! blarm your body!" cried Tooler, shrinking back. "Here, yow
Jim, kim here, bor, and take this 'ere devil of a dog out o' that."

Jim approached, and the growling was louder than before, while the
gentleman in black implored Jim to take care that the animal didn't
get hold of his hand.

"Here, yow Harry!" shouted Jim, "yare noot afeared o' doogs
together,--darng un, _I_ doont like un."

Accordingly Harry came, and then Sam, and then Bob, and then Bill; but
as the dog could not be seen, and as the snarling continued, neither
of them dared to put his hand in to drag the monster forth. Bob
therefore ran off for Tom Titus the blacksmith, who was supposed to
care for nothing, and in less than two minutes Tom Titus arrived with
about three feet of rod-iron red hot.

"Darng un!" cried Tom, "this ere 'll maake un _quit_ together!"

"Dear me! my good man," said the gentleman in black, "don't